Mistaken
by The biggest ikarishipping Fan
Summary: Dawn had always been Paul's dirty little secret. But one day they are caught and the secret is out. What does Paul do? Lie. What is Dawn's reaction to Paul's lie? Hell on Earth. Ikarishipping!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I do _not _own pokemon! If I did Pikachu's would fly and Blastoise would be a blue lizard with a turtle shell instead of a turtle(XD)!

**Summary: **Dawn had always been Paul's _dirty little secret. _But one day they are caught and the secret is out. What does Paul do? Lie. What is Dawn's reaction to Paul's lie? Hell on Earth. Ikarishipping! Paul is nineteen, Dawn is eighteen.

* * *

_Let me know what I've done wrong  
__When I've known this all along_

When nobody was around, they would go in a dark alley and make out. Her skin would touch the cold wall behind her, and he would press his body closer to her's, his lips inches from hers. She would smirk, wrapping one of her arm around his neck, and he would whisper into her ear_, "My dirty little secret."_ And then he would kiss her. For years, the two have been dating, sneaking behind everybody's back, making out. Of course, nobody knew. Nobody have known about their_ 'Dirty little secret'_ until that one day...

_I go around a time or two  
__Just to waste my time with you_

Paul watched as Dawn put her clothes back on, then straighten the bed that was all messy with hundreds of wrinkles, the bedsheets all torn off and jumbled into a mess. _'Why do I waste my time with this annoying girl?' _Paul asked himself. Yes, he still called his four year time girlfriend 'Annoying girl' along with many other nicknames. In his mind he may act like he's not interested in Dawn at all, but he was just lying to himself. In reality, he was crazy for her. If he wasn't, he wouldn't bother wasting his time with Dawn at all, he would have never purposely get them lost in the same forest together and end up kissing her.

_Tell me all you've thrown away  
__Find out games you don't wanna play  
__You are the only one who needs to know_

The two walked out of the old, dirty motel they were in, holding hands_. 'Arceus! All she does is complain or talk about stupid coordinating! Doesn't she_ ever _shutup!?'_ In his mind, she annoyed him with her complaining and coordinating talk, but he actually found it cute. Of course, he would never admit that, not even to himself. He always acted like everything about her annoyed him. Such as:

Her skirt is too short. _He liked it that way._

She cried too much. _It made him feel manly, and he found it cute._

Her pokemon were too weak. _He just says that so his pokemon sound strong._

Her cheering was stupid. _He loved her cheerleading oufit and the way she would cheer._

His thoughts were lies, his insults about her were lies, and deep inside he knew they were lies.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret  
__(Dirty Little Secret)  
__Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret  
__(Just another regret, hope you can keep it)  
__My dirty little secret_

As they walked Dawn smiled up at him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He would act as if he was annoyed by this, but he secretly loved it. After ten minutes of walking they stopped. Dawn smiled, standing up on her tiptoes (considering she only reaches Paul's shoulders) and kissed him on the lips. Her lips had the taste of watermelon, lipgloss he suppose. Her kisses were like chocolate raindrops falling out of the sky, like rain in a dry dead-zone area, like wishes on shooting stars coming true, like the greatest of dreams coming true. Yes, that's how good Dawn's kisses were to Paul. But one little kiss and one annoying voice ruined the feeling, like glass breaking. Or in this case, secrets breaking.

"Is that Paul and Dawn _kissing?_" A sharp noise, like breaking glass, was heard. Paul's heart race and he swore he the devil laughing at him. His world was struck by lightning, and his world had fell into a pit of starving Carvanhas and Sharpedos just ready to tear anything into a bloody mess. Paul quickly pulled his lips away from Dawn, spinning around to see the one and only Ash Ketchum. The noise which had sounded like breaking glass turned out to be just an oversize lollipop the idiot was carrying.

"Are you two _dating?!_" the idiot asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

He felt panic that tied his throat into a knot, keeping him from blurting out the truth. He felt his mind spin for a total of five seconds, leaving his memory blank. "What?" he blurted out.

"You and Dawn kissed, since when have you two been dating?" the moron questioned.

His throat was still in a knot, so he lied and blamed it on Dawn. "We aren't dating you fool, this annoying girl just came up and kissed me, taking me by surprise!"

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow, a frown painted across his face.

_'Of course! If it wasn't Pikachus wouldn't fly and would be yellow instead of blue!' _Paul thought sarcastically to himself. "Yes." Ash raised an eyebrow at Dawn who was dumbfounded.

"So... you have _**no**_ feeling for Dawn?" Ash asked.

_Who has to know?  
__When we live such fragile lives  
__It's the best way we survive  
__I go around a time or two  
__Just to waste my time with you_

Paul scoffed before replying, "No. All she is to me is a nuisance, somebody who gets in my path of getting stronger, and therefore wastes my precious time!"

Paul didn't really mean that, but Dawn didn't know that. She took them as his real feelings for her, considering it was possible. He always _did_ call her _annoying. _She _did _take time away from him when they went out on _dates. _The _dates _and making out in dark alleys, and everything else they did together, _did _take away his 'precious time'.

She felt walls inside of her break down. The walls that kept her from being stronger, the walls that stopped her from crying as much as she use to, the walls that helped her control her anger at somebody. That wall was no more, letting all her emotions free. Her mind was in some sort of a daze, too many thoughts and emotions going through her mind at that moment, making her _lose control. _Her legs and arms felt wobbly, weaker that is, making it hard for her to stand. She felt pain in her heart that made her blood hot, rage running through her veins. Everything that was going on in Dawn just suddenly snapped.

_Silence._

Then hell broke lose.

_Tell me all you've thrown away  
__Find out games you don't wanna play  
__You are the only one who needs to know_

**_"NUISANCE!?" _**

Oh no.

"I get it! All I am to you is a stupid, runty little girl is it!?" Dawn screamed, her face red with fury. "That's what you thought of me all this time, is it not!?"

Paul was too shock by her sudden outburst to respond. The same was with Ash.

"Well, I don't have to **_be _**with someone who thinks of me that way! So tough nubs on finding another girlfriend jerk!" Dawn yelled, breaking into tears.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret  
__(Dirty Little Secret)  
__Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret  
__(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)  
__My dirty little secret_

Paul's eyes widened, her words repeating over and over again in his mind. _'Crap, no!' _Paul thought to himself.

"Wait, Dawn! I didn't mean it!" Paul yelled, chasing after his girlfriend, err... I mean _Ex-Girlfriend._

Why the hell did he panic, and tell such vicious lies? How could he hurt Dawn so badly? Guilty thoughts ran through his head, guilt was painted across his forehead. Heck with it_, _a _guilt _sign was being hammered into the pit of stomach! His _actions_ screamed, _**'Guilt'.**_ Suddenly, Paul came to halt, realizing he lost Dawn.

_'No.' _Paul fell to his knees, slamming his fist against the hard pavement floor. _'Why!?'_

_Who has to know?  
__The way she feels inside  
__(Inside)_

**"But I was going to go hang with Misty and May." Dawn announced. The statement was greeted by piercing eyes that sent chills down her spine, like an icecube being thrown down her back on an icy cold night. "B-but I could just make up an excuse why not to go..." she murmured, her eyes watering a bit. Of course, she acted like she didn't mind lying to her friend just to go out with him.**

_Those thoughts I can't deny  
__(Deny)_

Selfish. That would be a perfect word to describe him on moments like those. There was no denying it. He was quite selfish when it came to Dawn. He wanted her all for himself, he didn't want to share her. Why? Because he was in love of course!

_Those sleeping dogs won't lie  
__(Won't lie)  
__And now I try to lie  
__It's eating me apart  
__Trace this life back_

**"You got us tickets to see that!? Oh my god! I wanted to see that movie! But last I remember, you called the movie stupid...?" Dawn said, raising an eyebrow, hand on hips.**

**"Yeah... Still do, but if you want to see it I might as will buy us tickets to see it." he replied, shrugging. **

**She smiled, hugging him. "Aww... Thanks! But I promised to go shopping with Zoey." she told him sadly.**

**"Can't you just cancel hanging with you friends just once so we can do something together?" he pleaded, doing a lame attempt at puppy dog eyes.**

But he asked many more times, and she canceled hanging with her friends many more times. Soon, it became a habit and they became suspicious. Then more lies were born.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret  
__(Dirty little secret)  
__Don't tell anyone or you'll just be another regret  
__(Just another regret)_

Paul lifted his head up, and as he did, he saw a flash of blue. Dawn. "DAWN!" Paul screamed at the top of lungs, chasing after her. He saw her turn her head, then pick up speed.

"Wait! Dawn! I'm sorry!" he yelled. Suddenly, she skidded to a halt, turning around quickly.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret  
__(Dirty little secret)  
__Don't tell anyone or you'llbe just another regret  
__(Just another regret, hope you can keep it)  
__My dirty little secret  
__Dirty little secret  
__Dirty little secret_

"Leave me alone!" she bellowed, tears visible at the corner of her eyes. "I don't **_want _**to be with someone who thinks I'm just a waste of their time!" And once again, she ran off, but not before shoving Paul, hard, onto the hard and solid pavement.

_Who has to know  
__Who has to know_

"Dawn..." Paul whispered, breathing hard.

* * *

**_This is a chapter story for anyone who thinks this is a one-shot who whatever those stories are called. And before anyone gets mad and blow up at me for making another chapter story, this is only four chapters long. Actually, three with an Epilogue. (Which I already have planned out! Or at least what's going to happen in the story --')_**

**_Please leave a review. Even if it's harsh criticism, as long as you don't leave a flame. Flames are my enemies..._**


	2. Searching For You

**Listening to 'How You Remind Me' by Nickelback adds Atmosphere for the chapter! (Kind of) Search for 'ikarishipping - how you remind me', and press on the longer version of the two amvs that pop up which were both created by Rissychan. :-) Enjoy Chapter Two!**

**Disclaimer: **Em, lemme see... I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ANY SONGS ON HERE! -rawr-

* * *

_Never made it as a wise man  
__I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing  
__Tired of living like a blind man  
__I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling  
__And this is how you remind me_

"No. Dawn isn't here." a brunette, which he knew very well as one of Dawn's closest friends.

"Why do you want to know? Actually, why do you even _care?_" May asked suspiciously.

_'What? It's a crime to wonder where you girlfriend (or ex) is now?_' That's what Paul felt like telling her, being sarcastic of course.

"No real reason. Oh, if you do see her give her this." he handed her a letter, two letters actually. One in a big envelope, another in a smaller envelope. With that, he walked away, heading to the nearest airport.

_This is how you remind me  
__Of what I really am  
__This is how you remind me  
__Of what I really am_

May blinked. Once. Twice. "Wait! I didn't say I didn't _know _where she wa- Oh, forget it!" He was already gone.

--

Two hours later Paul was on his way to Kanto. It was the only place left she could be. He already searched all of Sinnoh, Johto and Hoenn. Kanto was the only choice left, unless she went to a different region she never even heard of or been to.

_Ding._

"May I help you?" a wavy hair red head answered the door. She had cerulean blue eyes and was wearing a swimsuit, a towel wrapped around her neck. Obviously, she has been swimming.

"Is Dawn here?" Paul asked.

"No. She's in Sinnoh. She _was_here, but she flew back to Sinnoh this morning. Why?" she eyed him curiously, looking him in the eyes, hoping they would reveal the reason he was here.

"Sinnoh?"

"Yes, Sinnoh. Why do you wa-" he had already ran off, searching for the airport he just got off to buy a ticket to Sinnoh.

_It's not like you to say sorry  
__I was waiting on a different story  
__This time I'm mistaken  
__For handing you a heart worth breaking_

Dawn had her face buried in her knees, crying silently. She looked out the window, watching the clouds out the plane's window. As she stared out the window, she saw Paul's face. She looked away, tears leaking out of her eyes. She reached into her skirt pocket and took out her iPod. The song 'How You Remind Me' by Nickelback came on. She tugged the earplugs out of her ears, snibbling. The song reminded her too much of him. She wiped the tears away, hugging and burying her face into her knees once more.

_And I've been wrong, I've been down  
__Been to the bottom of every bottle  
__These five words in my head  
__Scream, "Are we having fun yet?"_

Paul stared out the plane's window, (he's not on Dawn's plane) Dawn's face appearing in every cloud that went by. He sank to his seat, wishing for her to be in the seat next to him. No such luck. A familiar giggle filled his ears. He turned to the seat next to him, expecting to see Dawn. _'You're so cute when you're confused!' _Her voiced echoed in his ears. He looked around, no Dawn to be seen. Just in his imagination, a memory of his they shared.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah  
__No, no  
__Yeah, yeah, yeah  
__No, no_

"May? What are you doing here?" Dawn questioned, cocking her head.

"Oh, just came to visit you. Also, because I came to deliver these to you." May responded, handing her the two envelopes.

She stared at them for the longest time, as if expecting somebody half-human, half-pokemon to jump out of them. "Who sent them?" she finally asked, ripping at the top to open it.

"Paul." Dawn froze in place, her heart thumping.

"Who?"

"Paul. You know, Ash's rival from Sinnoh. Paul. You should know him." May told her.

So it was Paul.

_It's not like you didn't know that  
__I said I love you and I swear I still do  
__And it must have been so bad  
__'Cause living with me must have damn near kill you_

_'Many years ago I told you I loved you, I swear I still do Dawn.' _Paul thought to himself.

**"I just wish you would stop being such a jerk. You act as if I'm invisible." Dawn muttered angrily, kicking a nearby stone.**

**He may _act _as if she's invisible to him, but she was all he thought of.**

**"Heh. Silly girl, you're anything but that to me." he told her, smirking slightly.**

**"Huh? Wh-what do you mean?" she asked, not understanding.**

**Paul stopped in his track, then whispered in her ears, **_"I love you."_

**A brilliant brush crept onto her face. The next thing he remembered was warm lips on his, and the sweet, sweet aroma of lemon.**

_And this is how you remind me  
__Of what I really am  
__And this is how you remind me  
__Of what I really am_

Dawn wanted to rip up the envelope, rip it into a million pieces. She wanted to rip it up, stomp on it, crumble it, put it in her mouth and chew it, spit it out and stomp on it some more. But she didn't, she just stared at it. And stared. And stared. And stared at it some more. It was as if she was paralyzed, unable to move.

"Aren't you going to open it?" May finally asked.

_It's not like you to say sorry  
__I was waiting on a different story  
__This time I'm mistaken  
__For handing you a heart worth breaking_

She opened up the envelope. She read the letter, her face revealing how confused she was. The way Paul had the lines. It was all too confusing. Some line were longer than others. Some of them mentioned the same things over and over again. She just didn't get it. She knew Paul and she knew he was a good writer, but...

_And I've been wrong, I've been down  
__Been to the bottom of every bottle  
__These five words in my head  
__Scream, "Are we having fun yet?"_

As soon as the plane landed, he ran out of it, and ran. _'Wait, where am I going?' _he wondered. _'Crud, I should have asked where she was going in Sinnoh!'_

He sighed, and ran towards Twinleaf town, not stopping until he got to a specific house in Twinleaf. His feet was killing him when he reached Twinleaf, but he didn't care. He just kept running, and running, until he reached _her_ house of course.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah  
__No, no  
__Yeah, yeah, yeah  
__No, no_

"Can I help you?" A lady in her early forties answered the door, who could be the one and only Miss Johanna Hikari.

"Is Dawn here?" Paul asked, breathless and his legs aching.

"Oh, no. She's in Veilstone. She went there this morning." she announced. "Are you a friend of Dawn?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Paul answered, still breathless.

"Thanks for the helpful information!" he yelled, before once again running off towards his hometown.

"Hmm... He seems nice. He would make a lovely boyfriend for my dear Dawn." Johanna thought to herself out loud.

_Never made it as a wise man  
__Couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing  
__And this is how you remind me  
__This is how you remind me_

Paul ran, the trees were a green blur. As he was running he almost fell in a lake, but stopped just in time. Then he ran some more. PassJubilife City, passOreburgh City, pass Hearthome City and pass Solaceon Town. He was almost to Veilstone now. His legs were aching and burning for running nearly nonstop, but his pathetic legs weren't gonna stop him from going to Veilstone and finding Dawn.

_This is how you remind me  
__Of what I really am  
__This is how you remind me  
__Of what I really am_

Dawn read the letter over and over again. "ARRRGH!" she crumbled up the letter, throwing it to the floor_. 'It's all a joke! A joke! He says he loves me but he's just lying! Like he told Ash, I mean nothing to him! Nothing! He's just trying to play with my mind!_' Dawn thought angrily to herself, tears threatening to fall out of her eyes_. 'HE'S JUST A LIAR!!_' She grabbed the other envelope and ripped at it 'til it was in at least in ten pieces.

_Clink!_

Dawn gasped at what fell out of the envelope and held her breath. "Is that a..." May asked quietly. Dawn nodded, unable to speak. Her heart fluttering at the object before her. She grabbed the object, studying it. She glanced at the smashed ball of paper, grabbed it and unfolded it. She read it one more time. She glanced at the left side of the letter, gasping as she figured out what he was _really _trying to say.

_It's not like you to say sorry  
__I was waiting on a story  
__This time I'm mistaken  
__For handing you a heart worth breaking_

Finally, Paul reached Veilstone. He looked around frantically, searching for any sight of Dawn. And he saw her. By the pokemon center. "Dawn." Paul said softly. He ran towards the pokemon center, yelling, "DAWN!"

Dawn spun around, spotting her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, you decide, looking as if he ran half of Sinnoh! (Which he did) "Paul!?" she gasped at the sight of him, tears were in the corner of her eyes. She ran towards her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, engulfing him in a spine-breaking hug. "Paul." she sobbed onto him, still holding onto the letter and _object _he gave her.

"Dawn." Paul whispered softly.

"Eh... I feel as if I shouldn't be here." May said quietly to herself, backing away slowly. "I'll be... Elsewhere."

_And I've been wrong, I've been down  
__Been to the bottom of every bottle  
__These five words in my head  
__Scream, "Are we having fun yet?"_

"Dawn... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean those words I spoke." He told her softly, hugging her back.

"I know..." she whispered into his jacket.

"I just panicked. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry..." Nice one, talk about a new side of Paul.

Dawn smiled up at him, still crying. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched her neck so they were kissing. Paul could have swore Dawn's kisses couldn't have been any more sweeter. When they pulled apart, Dawn stood on her tip-toes, and whispered into his ears, "About the letter, yes."

"You got the message?" Paul said quietly. She smiled, wiping tears that would leak out of her eyes. She kept on crying though.

"Yes. I got the message." Dawn replied. "It was, _'Will you marry me'_."

_Yeah, yeah  
__Are we having fun yet  
__Yeah, yeah  
__Are we having fun yet?  
__Yeah, yeah  
__Are we having fun yet?  
__Yeah, yeah  
__No, no_

Dawn handed him the object which happened to be a ring with a diamond on it. He place the ring on her ring finger, happy that she had forgiven him and his mistakes. "And the answer is, yes." she whispered, kissing Paul once more.

* * *

_**Oh My Gawd! I am so pathetic! Lol I almost started crying when I was making this! T.T (Don't laugh at me, I know you're laughing!) The ending was pretty cheesy, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. **__**Hope you enjoyed! :-D **_

_**And no, I'm not done with this story yet! **__**There's three more chapter to come! (This is going to be five chapters long now instread of four). The next chapter is going to take nine months after this one (I dare you guess why **__**:-**__) **). Then the fourth chapter will take place a year after the third, and the fifth will be the Epilogue! Which will take ten years after the third chapter! Reviews, please? :-D**_


	3. Behind These Tears

***cough* It adds more atmostphere to the story if you watched the music video to 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' by Kelly Clarkson, then listen to the song throughout the whole chapter! *cough* Just letting you know...**

**Disclaimer: **Hissss...... Do you think rattlesnakes own pokemon? ....I didn't think so. I do NOT own pokemon! ;] Errr.... I also disclaim being a rattlesnake. ....Rattlesnakes can't type, lol. Oh, and also! Paul is twenty-one right now and Dawn is twenty!

* * *

_So this was it... After all this time, he decides to just give up on me... Carly... us... his family... The way he looks at her, a look of pure adoration. I don't think he had once looked at me that way..._

_If he was given the choice to be with me or **her**_ _before he had gotten married or had Carly with me, I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure he would have chosen **her.**_ _The way he smiles at her, the way he looks at her... Why doesn't he look at me like that?_

"Paul?"

"Hm?"

I rolled over in bed, that way my face was mere inches from his back. I hugged the comforter to me, shivering at the coolness of the air. "Are you going to..." I swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Why was it so hard to ask a single question? "- hang out with Lucy again tomorrow?"

"Err... I don't think so." He rolled over too, now we were face to face.

My heart began to thumped in my chest as he faced me. It was good thing it was dark in the room, that way he couldn't see my red face. This was like having a crush on him all over again. We were married, had a child, why was I so nervous around him? It was as if I was one of those quiet, shy girls totally infatuated with this one hot guy that was popular and didn't have times for girls like her. But, I guess somehow Paul and I gotten that way around each other.

Uncomfortable.

"Well," I started, my face burning hot. "I was hoping that maybe, uh, we could do sort of a... family thing together with Carly."

"Oh, okay. We should spend more time together, I suppose." He mumbled.

I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Goodnight." He mumbled, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Yeah, goodnight." I mumbled, tossing so we were back to back once again.

Are all marriages this uncomfortable? Are all marriages this... torturing?

_Seems like just yesterday  
You were a part of me  
I used to stand so tall  
I used to be so strong  
Your arms around me tight_

_**(xX. The Next Morning .Xx)**_

I let out a sort of gagging sound as a piece of scramble egg went down my throat the wrong way.

"Up next is Kelly Clarkson with the song..."

I didn't hear the rest of what the guy on the tv said, for at that moment Paul walked in. I set down my fork, and walked over to Carly's crib where Carly was making cute little baby sounds while sucking on her thumb. She cooed as I picked her up, and I wiped away the saliva from her mouth with a napkin.

"Where are you going?" I questioned as I heard the door open.

"Lucy called. She wanted me to hang out with her." He replied.

My mouth dried quickly at those single words. I heard the next lyrics to the Kelly Clarkson song singing...

_"Just thought you were the one..."_

My heart quickened at the lyrics. My mouth dried at the look the guy getting married in the music video gave the "other girl" in the music video. The other girl being the one the man was cheating on her with. _'Noo...'_

"I'll come with you." I volunteered, still holding Carly in my arms.

He looked surprised. "Well, okay then. I'll wait for you while you get dressed."

I frowned at him. I glanced at the clothes I wore and realized I still haven't gotten dressed. I was still in my black laced nightgown. "Oh." I blushed and quickly set down Carly, rushing upstairs to our bedroom before he changed his mind.

_Everything it felt so right  
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong  
Now, I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hanging on_

Within minutes I was back down again; clean and ready to go!

"Should we call a babysitter for Carly?" I asked a bit timidly. "Or should we bring her with us?"

He shrugged. "I already called Ash. He and Misty will look after her." He told me with mild interest.

"Good."

Silence.

"So..." I started hesitatedly.

At that moment our doorbell that sounds like a loud bee rang.

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz....._

"Hey Misty, Ash." I greeted kindly as I answered the doorbell.

Minutes passed, soon enough me and Paul were on the road to _Gardenia Rosetia_, a beautiful garden park where mainly _couples _went. Whatever game this Lucy was playing, she was playing it good. For that, I envy her.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one_

All the way there we didn't talk. The silence was killing. I felt as if I was trapped in a bubble — or that the bubble was trapped in me. The longer the silence went on, the bigger the bubble got, suffocating me until I felt as if I couldn't breathe. It was a bubble that needed to burst; if it didn't burst soon, I may just find myself having an emotional breakdown.

Finally we arrived at the garden park.

"How come you wanted to come with me anyway?" Paul asked randomly as we climbed out of the car.

Like it wasn't obvious.

I shrugged. "I just feel..." I began slowly, collecting my thoughts together. "- that we should spend more time together."

"That makes sense, I guess." He mumbled, locking the car doors.

_Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

**Regular POV**

"Hey, Paul!" Paul turned around, a small smirk brightening his face.

Dawn slowly turned her head, already knowing who it was: A red head with curly hair, robin blue eyes, and a nice figure. Dawn reluctantly turned around, trying to at least _look_ friendly.

"Oh. Dawn came with you?" There was no mistaking the sourness in her voice at Dawn's name. Paul heard the sourness, raising an eyebrow.

He wrapped his arm around Dawn's shoulder, replying, "We hardly get to spend any time together anymore."

"Oh."

Because of you... Dawn thought glumly, feigning a happy smile.

"Well, anyway, lets go!" She grabbed Paul's hand, dragging him to the entrance of the restaurant. His arm slipped off of Dawn's shoulder as she pulled him away.

The green hand of jealousy clawed at her heart, chilling it like a blizzard with her dark thoughts. She growled under her breath, following them calmly, though her thoughts were racing like a rapidash in a race.

"Dawn, over here!" Paul called out.

"Huh?" She found him a couple of tables away, Lucy of course by his side.

She sat next to him, scooting extra close to him for a reason. She saw Lucy tense, and Dawn was glaring at her in her head, though of course in reality she wouldn't glare at Lucy with much intensity.

It was then Dawn noticed what Lucy was wearing: A silk snow-white blouse that revealed a little too much of her breast, and faded short jeans that were even shorter than the skirts Dawn wore. If Lucy dressed like that everytime her and Paul hung out, people would think they were going out.

_Like she wants them to..._ Dawn thought darkly, a dark aura surrounding her.

_I told you everything  
Opened up and let you in  
For you made me feel alright  
For once in my life_

Dawn took a quick glance at what she herself had put on in her rush.

A bubblegum pink low-cut V-neck blouse (one Paul had brought her for her birthday), a dark blue jean skirt, white ankle socks and hot pink sneakers. She also remembered she put a pink ribbon in her hair before they left too.

"So how have you two been?" Lucy suddenly asked, grinning at the two of them. Dawn swore though, behind the fake happiness, there was really a green demon trying to take Paul away her her...

"Fine!" Dawn chirped, her grin matching her's.

"And Carly?"

"She's perfect," It was Paul who answered this time. "She has her mother's eyes." He glanced at Dawn.

"And her father's hair!" Dawn added, a smile forming on her lips as memories of when she was still pregnant came to her mind.

**"What do you think the baby going to look like?" Dawn questioned Paul, rubbing her fat belly happily. **

**"Honestly, I don't know." He answered sighing. He rested his head gently against Dawn's belly, a content smile forming on his tanned face. "But, I hope she has your eyes..."**

**Dawn smiled too, giggling as she replied, "I hope she has your hair."**

Dawn had to blink away tears at the memory. She forced down the sorrow that was building up in the pit of her stomach, the longing sorrowful need for things to be easy again. Where things were how they were suppose to be. When things were comfortable again...When she could talk to him, stroke his hair, kiss him. And much more.

_Now all that's left of me  
Is what I pretend to be  
So together, but so broken up inside  
'Cause I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hangin' on_

It was forever since the two finally went home. It was mainly Lucy and Paul who were doing the talking anyways. Dawn just answered a few times whenever Paul mentioned her, or Lucy asked her a question.

Dawn thanked Misty and Ash for watching Carly, hugging them both.

"No prob!" Ash said.

"Yeah, we like watching Carly! Besides, Shelly likes playing with Carly!" Misty had said cheerfully, holding her raven-haired daughter in her arms.

The two left, riding away in their dark camry.

Now that they were back home, all was silent again. The silence just hung there, dark and uncomfortable, like something dead. Dawn felt as if she was trapped in this uncomfortable silence, suffocating her with its cold hands, making it difficult for her to breathe...

"Dawn?" The sudden sound of his voice sent a shiver down her back, and the voice seemed to echo in her mind over and over once she heard it...

"Yes?" She turned around to face him, setting down Carly.

_Her I am once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one_

It was while before he answered. In the meanwhile, Dawn turned on the TV, turning the channel to a music one. A new song was just coming on, familiar music filling the room.

The same one she heard that morning...

"Do you like Lucy?"

The question took her by surprise, sending more shivers down her spine with her hairs sticking up. She looked away when she answered him, concentrating on the music flowing from the TV.

"O-of course!" She stuttered, watching the blond from the music video. "Why?" She stole a quick glance his way, nervously chewing on her lower lip.

"You were oddly silent when you were around her. You also looked...uncomfortable." Of course she looked uncomfortable. She felt like a stranger next to her own husband! They talked as if she wasn't even there, too.

She still kept her eyes on the TV screen, sitting on their round chocolate brown loveseat. Suddenly, she saw herself in the music video, watching as Paul and Lucy were about to kiss.

She shrugged, unsure how to answer. "I-I was just thinking about...things." She mumbled, eyes still glued on the screen.

_Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

"What were you thinking about?"

She really was thinking about _certain_ things when they were talking.

"Us." She answered honestly, sternly, an icy edge to the answer.

"What about us?" He asked, crossing his arm. He leaned against a wall watching her like she watched the television screen.

"Last night..." she mumble. She finally turned to face him. "You said we could do some family activity with Carly."

"But that was before Lucy called." He sighed.

"Lucy always calls." Dawn mumbled, turning to watch the music video again. "...And then we never get to do anything together. With Carly, I mean."

His next words made her hold her breath.

"Well, Lucy is my friend. A childhood friend. I have a right to see my friend too." His voice sounded angry, as if Dawn's words had insulted him. Like she told him he couldn't see Lucy anymore. Of course, Dawn wanted to say that, but she didn't.

_Swallow me then spit me out  
For hating you, I blame myself  
Seeing you it kills me now  
No, I don't cry on the outside  
Anymore_

"I didn't say you couldn't!" Dawn yelled, getting off the loveseat. She felt hurt and angry and well, UPSET by his words.

"Well, it sounded like it." Paul retorted back, glaring his wife.

"What is wrong with you?!" Dawn yelled, disgust on her face. "You are married! You have a wife and a child! Doesn't that mean anything to you?! You see Lucy everyday, and you go places with her everyday! Meanwhile, Carly and I are stuck here doing nothing!"

Angry tears were in her eyes. She blinked them away. Tears would help nothing.

He was about to reply, but she interrupted him. "I know she's your friend, but you don't have to be with her **_every single second of the day?_!?** Or do you like her better than me? Is Carly and I _**nothing**_ to you now?" She asked, clenching her fists at her side.

He was about to say something, but again Dawn interrupted him, this time leaving a cold atmostphere behind. "You lost me once, you can lose me again." She hissed.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one_

He shocked not only Dawn with his next words, but himself. "Maybe I won't care this time if I lose you."

A loud gasped escaped her mouth, and tears formed in her ocean blue eyes. She fell to her knees, clutching her heart as if it was hurting her. Which it was.

_"For hating you, I blame myself!"_ The tv sang, drowning her with it's lyrics.

Emotions flooded her; dark, lonely emotions that **_hurts so much._**

She screamed curses at him, angry tears flooding her eyes. He screamed back, cursing her too.

"I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I **HATE **YOU! YOU CONCEITED JERK!" she screamed, speaking from the Devil's vocabulary. "I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU!"

"It was a mistake ever taking you back!" Paul growled, his face red with anger.

"Or so you took me back?" She spatted angrily through seethed teeth. "I thought it was _**ME**_ who took _**YOU**_ back!"

Everybody forgot about Carly, who surprisingly was sleeping through all the yelling and screaming, cursing and bad-mouthing.

Paul grabbed Dawn, pulling her roughly by the arm, a cry of pain escaping Daw's lips.

"Let go of me, you jerk!" Dawn screamed, kicking at Paul.

"Jealous bi-" She gasped at what he just called her, kicking him hard in the shin. The tears she held in for so long overflooded, rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably in her fit of anger.

_Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

Dawn screamed, cursing Paul with every cuss word she could think of, screaming so loud it wouldn't be a surprise if the neighbor heard her. Or the whole town, to be more exact on how loud she was screaming.

Paul got up, glaring at the blunette dangerously. She glared back, her eyes wet and puffy. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" she whispered, repeating the three words over and over. The more she said the words, the more anger and hurt she felt.

The more _lonely_ she felt.

**"I HATE YOU!"** She screamed finally, her hands inches from a lamp.

Blink.

A blistering roar entered the room, showering the room with the glass of the lamp Dawn had threw. It was impossible to describe the sound the lamp made, but it wasn't impossible to describe what Dawn and Paul were feeling at that moment.

This time Carly did wake, and she started to cry. Meanwhile, Dawn dropped to her knees, sobbing her heart out it felt. Paul, who had blood dripping from one cheek where a piece of glass has pierced his skin, just watched his wife, his heart heavy.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, finally, unable to listen to Dawn cry anymore.

Silence.

"...Dawn?"

Carly's cries were the only noise in the house.

"No...I'm sorry." Dawn whispered, wiping away her tears.

He walked over to her, hugging her comfortingly. "I love you..." He whispered, stroking her soft blue hair.

She sniffed in reply, beginning to sob again. "I'm so sorry, so, so sorry Paul! Please forgive me..." she whispered, burying her head in his shirt.

"I already forgave you... Do you forgive me?" Paul asked.

"No." Paul stopped stroking for a second. "Because there's nothing to forgive..." she whispered.

"Yes there is..." Paul mumbled, continuing to stroke her silk-like hair. She paid no attention to what he said now, she just continued crying.

Carly's cries faded away, having been lulled to sleep by her own crying.

Paul sighed, and he kissed Dawn's head. She stopped crying and stared longingly into his onyx eyes, beginning to repeat the word sorry again as she gave him small kisses on the mouth. She sighed too, lying her head on Paul's chest.

"I hate feeling this way," she mumbled. "Like we're two different strangers instead of husband and wife."

"I do too." Paul admitted, playing with some of her hair.

There was another long silence.

"This floor is uncomfortable." He mumbled, shifting slightly.

Dawn laughed, a musical laugh.

She got off of him, stretching as she stood up. He got up too, and mimicked her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, sighing contently on his chest. "Lets go to our room..." she whispered, circling his chest with a finger.

A smirk formed on his lips. "Okay." He scooped Dawn up, carrying her bridal style to their room.

* * *

**_I wonder what they plan on doing...ROFL! XDD So...are you wondering why I deleted the last two chapters of this story and replaced it with this one? Well......honestly, I never really was too proud of the other two chapters like I was of the prologue and the 'Searching For You' one, so I deleted them. I was going to remake them, but then I got this idea....and this was born! It's not finished though! (It's also no longer going to be only five chapters anymore ;_;) Also, this new plot might as well have totally killed the last chapter.......For now._**

**_I thought this chapter was pretty sad. :'-( Or dramatic, anyway. But then again, of course it's dramatic. I'm a dramatic person! I should be called...'Ikarishipping Drama Queen! Which I actually was thinking of changing my name to once...Anyways, enough about me and my drama queen issues, review!!_**

* * *


	4. A Decision

**Suggestion: Keep listening to "Someday" by Nickelback throughout the story. Like I did while making this. ^^**

**Disclaimer: ***cough* ...I do not own pokemon. *releases firebreathing dragons*

* * *

**Chapter Three: A Decision**

_How the hell'd we wind up like this?  
Why weren't we able  
To see the signs that we missed  
And try and turn the tables?_

Too many tears, way too many tears. She could handle just so much before she just couldn't handle any more, before she couldn't bottle her anger up anymore. And... when your husband ignored you almost 24/7, well, there was a lot of anger, frustration and tears.

"I AM SICK OF THIS!" she screeched, after dealing with another one of his tantrums.

Broken glass, shattered from the impact of hitting the wall. Blood dripping from her hands from glass that pierced her skin, slicing it open. And still he screamed, while blood dripped onto their carpet, staining it, and he didn't care. Sometimes Dawn felt he didn't care about her feelings, about the pain she was going through.

Why had she even married a jerk like him? Did she really love him back then? She couldn't remember what it felt like to be in love. She knew marriages had their ups and downs, but was marriage all downs? 'Cause that's what marriage was for her. A husband that ignored her, a husband that rather train or hang with an old friend of his than his own wife, feeling unwanted, like a disease.

_I wish you'd unclench your fists  
And unpack your suitcase  
Lately there's been too much of this  
But don't think it's too late_

"Stop!" she screamed, her fists clenched tightly together, her fingernails digging painfully into her skin.

But she was use to pain, so it didn't bother her. She'd dealt with worse, a pain that could only be found in the heart.

"I'm sick of fighting with you, Paul! Why can't you just get over yourself? You have a family now, you're **married**! Or have you forgotten that hanging out with _Lucy_?" She sneered, tears visible in the corner of her eyes.

"You leave Lucy out of this!" He snapped back, fists also clenched.

"WHY?! Why can't I drag _Lucy_ into this? Because she does _nothing_ wrong, because she's _too_ **perfect** to be part of this mess?" She asked, her voice going shrill as she struggled not to burst into tears. "Do you care about her more than your own _wife_?! Does _Carly_ even mean anything to you anymore?!"

_Nothin's wrong  
__Just as long as you know someday I will_

He said nothing, instead he just stared angrily at the floor like he always did.

Once again, Dawn being the stubborn person she was, slept outside on the couch, refusing to sleep or even talk with her husband. It wasn't that she didn't want to make up with him, but she couldn't...he was a much more stubborn person than herself. Like all the other times, she found herself crying silently in the darkness, wanting all this pain to go away.

Why couldn't they be like normal wives and husbands? Not the ones that gets divorced, but the ones with happy endings, the ones that rarely fight, the one that love each other dearly and aren't afraid to show it?

Why couldn't they be like that?

_Someday, Somehow  
Gonna make it alright but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)_

Rarely a day goes by when they didn't fight or argue. But that one day, was one of their worse fight yet...

A door slammed, and Paul walked into the kitchen, probably getting something to eat. Dawn's teeth grinded together, and she couldn't take it, the tears rolled controllably down her cheeks, her shoulders and legs trembling.

"What the hell are you crying about this time?!" Paul asked, a scowl present on his face.

_CRASH!!_

"What the hell?!" Paul cried, staring at the spot where glass had just shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.

He turned back to his wife who was fuming, her eyes red and puffy, her legs and shoulders still quivering. The short denim shorts she wore were wet along with the pale yellow shirt and green apron she wore from doing the dishes.

"What did you do that for?!" He yelled, taking a dangerous step towards her.

Dawn wasn't scared. She was no longer scared when they fought, when Paul got mad. The twenty year old woman took a step closer to her husband, still seething in anger and pain.

"Why can't you ever treat me with respect?!" She yelled, tears escaping her eyes again. She held the wash cloth in her hand tighter, trying to hold back the tears.

_Someday, Somehow  
Gonna make it alright but not right now  
I know you're wondering when_

"Why can't you stop yelling for once in your life?" He shot back, glaring daggers at the blunette.

"Because you can't stop being an ass! You couldn't stop being an ass to save your miserable soul!" She tore angrily at the cloth with her fingernails. She shut her eyes tightly, forcing back the tears, taking deep breaths.

This time he didn't be quiet, didn't keep his thoughts to himself.

"You can't stop nagging me about the stupidest things, why should I treat you with repsect? What have you done for me lately, eh?!" He said, taking another dangerous step closer to the young blunette.

She had to bite her lower lip to stop the tears this time. Air was coming harder for her, every breath was a struggle. "I..." She had to swallow twice before continuing. "I cook you breakfast all the time! And do I hear any "Thank you, dear"s? No! And the reason I'm being so naggy is because you act as if you have no family! You never spend any time with me and Carly!"

"And you wonder why I never do!" He sneered. "With a bitch for a wife!"

Dawn gasped loudly, and this time she couldn't hold back the tears, and she collapsed to her knees, sobbing. "UNGRATEFUL ASSHOLE!" she bellowed, throwing another glass cup at the wall, glass piercing painfully into her hand, drawing blood.

_Well, I'd hope since we're here anyway  
We could end up saying  
Things we've always needed to say  
So we could end up stringing_

Unlike the other times, he threw back, a glass piplup she had recieved for a present. It wasn't at her, instead at the opposite wall, but she knew the anger radiating off of him was highly dangerous. Goosebumps went up and down her arms, and she had to gasp, clenching in pain at the pain in her own heart. Her bangs fell messily in front of her face.

She looked at the palm of her hand, noticing for the first time all the blood on it, the blood spilling from the slice she got from when she threw the glass. Her eyes grew big and wild, and without thinking, she ran upstairs, running to her room. She ran to the bathroom in the bedroom, immediately putting the cut under cold water. Ice cold water.

She screamed at the pain she got from doing so, biting her lip and holding her wrist in pain. Tears flooded her eyes, and through the screaming her own mind was doing, she heard a door slam and heard the bathroom door open roughly.

Blood was still flowing smoothly from the cut, falling onto the white marble floor. A hand roughly grabbed her wrist, and something cool and wet touched the cut, sending another pain through Dawn. She let out a small scream, earning a "Shut up!" from Paul, who not-so-tenderly wrapped her hand up and bandaged it.

_Now the story's played out like this  
Just like a paperback novel  
Let's rewrite an ending that fits  
Instead of a hollywood horror_

She pulled roughly away from Paul's hand, as if he planned to chop the hand off. "Leave me alone!" she screamed, unable to control her emotions. So much anger, so much pain, so much confusion...

"Stupid girl." He muttered, once again glaring at her.

She ran out of the room, down the stairs, not even sure where she was going. She heard footsteps behind her. Could he leave her alone?! She wanted to be alone! She wanted time to sort out her feelings, she just felt sick...

"Please, leave me alone!" sne snapped, turning to face her husband.

"Oh, I'm sorry, _Miss Perfect_! I thought you wanted me to spend more time with you!" She spat out the word as if they were venom, poison to him, as if the words meant nothing to him.

_Nothin's wrong  
Just as long as you know that someday I will_

"I liked you better before we got married, before we were even dating..." She whispered suddenly. "In fact...I'm not even sure I like you anymore." Paul could do nothing but glare.

_Someday, Somehow  
Gonna make it alright but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)_

"You were cruel back then, too, but at least..." She didn't know how to finish that sentence. But at least what? He was the same back then as he is now, but why did she like it better back then.

"But at least back then we weren't dating, and I didn't have to live with you." She words slipped icily from her lips, her eyes reflecting the same coldness of a blizzard in Snowpoint would reflect. She glanced at the picture frame that sat on a glass table, the picture frame that held a picture from when they got married. She picked it up, staring at it longingly. "Back then, I hated you." Venomous words, bitter tasting.

_A lie._

She didn't hate him.

She loved him as much, and as painful as it was to admit it, she loved him back then as much as she did at that moment. Though her heart was angry, in pain and confused over him, it still felt warm if not entirely whole, and the love radiated from her as her own pain.

He smirked at this. A sneer almost, a mocking little smirk that made Dawn's stomach turn upside down. "If you hate me now, like you did back then, why don't you just leave? Divorce me, huh? I bet that would make you happy for once."

DIVORCE?!

Her eyes widened in shock, and once again she was trembling. From what though? Anger, fear, or just plain pain? Did he...hate her? She dropped the picture frame, the glass breaking just like her heart.

She never once considered divorce, and she never would. She never could, no matter how much pain he made her go through.

_Someday, Somehow  
I'm gonna make it alright but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)_

"A-are you s-serious?" she stuttered, her mouth dry. Tears stung her eyes, but they did not fall.

His smirk disappeared. "You're unhappy living with me, so why not?" He challenged, crossing his arms smoothly.

She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Her mind was at a blank, and she couldn't think of anything to say, she could't even THINK! But then, an image popped into her mind, and all the anger was back. The anger was like a hurricane destroying any other emotion she had previously felt, taking control of what was and what is, the hurricane whirling faster and faster with each second that passed.

"Why do you want to get a divorce, huh?! Let me guess! Is it because of_ LUCY_!?!" The name was currently poison on her tongue.

Her body shook, and her eyes got redder and redder, tears overflowing finally. Dawn didn't bother trying to stop, didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were a sign of "weakness". She didn't care about the emotions she was letting herself show now. Or what he thought about her.

_How the hell'd we wind up like this?  
Why weren't we able  
To see the signs that we missed?  
And try an' turn the tables?_

"Hn. You were the one that might as well have said you hated me, I was just throwing around ideas to make your life less miserable." He shrugged, his voice still mocking.

If it wasn't for the agony in her hand, and that her ear were still ringing painfully, and that there wasn't anything made of glass nearby, she would have threw something at Paul, hitting him straight in the...

"...I didn't say I hated you!" She said, barely more than a whisper.

"Like I care," He said. "'cause I can't say the same."

Dawn closed her eyes, the tears rolling freely down her cheeks and onto the floor. Her mind screaming hateful words, words that rang continuously in her mind.

Though also with those hateful words, were images that she have long forgottened, memories that should have brought a smile on her face, filled her with warmth and butterfrees. Laughter ringing in her ears, seductive words, whispers that weren't lies. All memories of her and Paul, but one memory stood out most of all...

_Now the story's played out like this  
Just like a paperback novel  
Lets rewrite an ending that fits  
Instead of a Hollywood Horror_

_**"Dawn... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean those words I spoke." He told her softly, hugging her tightly and securely.**_

She stared at Paul, trying to see if any of that tender love he had in his eyes back then was in his eyes now. Of course, it wasn't. It was filled with the coldest of ice that pierced her skin like the glass that always pierced her.

Even with her heart still in pain, she managed to force a smile.

The smile startled Paul, she saw. His slight reaction was enough to turn her smile slightly grimmer.

She looked away from the purple hair man, her eyes glazing over in sadness, and she couldn't hide the tears as she walked back up to their room. She reached under the bed, grabbing her large, dark suitcase which she began to fill with her clothes. She folded the clothes Paul had given her, and just left them on their bed - no, _his_ bed now.

_Nothing's wrong  
Just as long as you know that someday I will_

She heard Paul into the door, and she stopped unpacking for a moment, just listening as he approached her.

"You're actually leaving?" A hint of sadness crept into his voice. Dawn shook her head though, figuring it was just her imagination, her imagination trying to get her to think he acually cared for her.

She didn't reply, instead she just shoved pass him, throwing more clothes into her suitcase. She hesitated as she held a shirt he had just given her for her last birthday, taking in the softness of the shirt first, inhaling the scent.

"Here." She growled, tossing the shirt towards him. It landed on a lamp. "I don't want it."

_Someday, Somehow  
Gonna make it alright but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)_

She slammed the suitcase shut, taking a deep breath of air.

"Hn. I can't believe you're actually serious..." Paul commented, his voice barely above a whisper as he said that.

She glared at the suit case in front of her through a blur of tears. She was so tempted to put all her clothes back and just forget their fight, maybe sleep with him tonight actually. No, not that last part. It was too big of a fight. Still, she was tempted to put her stubborness away and not go through with herself leaving.

But still, she was stubborn and it was too late.

"You want me to leave, don't you?" she asked, forcing herself not to yell or scream anymore than she already had.

_Someday, somehow  
Gonna make it alright but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)_

He didn't answer the question, and Dawn had to smile. Maybe he didn't want her to leave...

...But still, it was too late.

"Do you?" She whispered, turning to face him. His face showed no emotion, and his eyes were covered by his purple bangs when he looked down.

More painful memories filled her heart, dancing and singing, taunting her with the oh so painful memories. Memories of her and Paul... On their wedding day, during their honeymoon, while giving birth to Carly, and all the rest sweet, sweet memories. Memories that were now bittersweet....

"Do you?" She persisted. He refused to answer, keeping his mouth closed tight, his eyes on he ground.

He finally sighed, then glared at the blunette, growling, "Maybe not."

_I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
I know you're wondering when_

Dawn smiled; her eyes cleared. She walked over to him, staring at her bandaged hand. Something he said earlier that night flashed into her mind, and she couldn't help but wince.

_**"And you wonder why I never do!" He sneered. "With a bitch for a wife!" **_

She laid her good hand on his left cheek. His cheek was warm; she wondered if it was that warm a moment ago. She sighed, looking up to stare into his eyes. She didn't know what kind of emotions were in his eyes—love, hate, sadness, anger—she couldn't tell, they just looked blank.

_"Don't go."_

She thought she heard him whisper that, but it could have been her imagination.

"Goodbye," she whispered, forcing anger into her voice. She turned away, then hesitated, and turned back around. She kissed him—one last time before she left his life for good.

She rushed down the stairs, failing to hold back the tears that threatened to leak from her eyes and slide down her cheeks, only to fall. She went to her precious Carly's room, getting her dressed quickly then strapping her in a baby carriage that was nearby. She just left the room when Paul entered, and he stared shocked, his mouth forming an 'O', as she took away his daughter. Also because she really was serious about leaving...

She didn't tell him so, but she regretted making this decision, the decision of walking away from their life, their love.

...But she couldn't live with the anger anymore. Maybe one day she would come back, or maybe she would just remarry somebody else.

* * *

**_This chapter sucked didn't it? :P Sorry, though! So, tell me, did you love it, hate it, think it was decent enough, or sucked? Tell me in a review._** **_Also I might make the next chapter in Paul's P.O.V. (or perspective) of this chapter. Might not though. I would like to though. :)_**

**_Review. =)_**


	5. Never Healing Scars

**Suggestion: Listen to "Move Along"** **by _All-American Rejects_ continuously while reading this.**

**Disclaimer: ***sneezes*IDONOTOWNPOKEMONORANYOFTHESESONGS!D8*sneezes again* Allergy season...xD

* * *

**Chapter Four: Never Healing Scars**

_Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking  
When you fall everyone sins  
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking  
With the life held in your  
Hands are shaking cod  
These hands are meant to hold  
Speak to me_

Paul sighed loudly as he woke up that morning, his head aching painfully. It was the first morning he has woken up since his and Dawn's marriage that he have felt alone. She was gone, Carly was gone, and now...he had nobody. Again, he was alone.

He turned over in bed, burying his face in a pillow. He remembered her laughing when she jumped on his back when they first got married. His heart filled with sadness and despair. He remembered nights when she would sleep on the couch thanks to their arguing and he would gently stroke her tear-stained cheeks. He did this all when she was asleep because he couldn't bear to show such affection for his blue-hair wife when she was awake.

Sadly, whenever she was awake and he was around, they ended getting into fights. And they would be left with more than just a few scars on the fade from the shards that would slice our skin from throwing glass objects. Those scars would fade.

However, the memory would never fade.

The shouts, the curses, the hate... it would forever be a part of the scars in his brain that would never heal. The tears she cried, her cuts that would bleed, her screams that had so much hate put into words... it would forever be a scar...

A scar that would never fade.

That would never heal...

_"Paul! Get up! C'mon, silly! It's time for breakfast!" _He could practically hear her voice and feel her jumping on his back again. When she did this he usually either groaned and told her in an exhausted voice to get off or tried to start a tickle fight.

...What happened to those days?

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know ya do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along  
Move along_

"Are you sure you don't mind me and Carly being here?" Dawn asked May that morning.

"Of course not! You're my friend Dawn! Why would I mind if you're here for a short while? I'm sure you would do the same for me if I was having relationship problems!" The brunette replied, her sapphire blue eyes understanding and caring, like a mother would give her child.

Dawn smiled gratefully. "You're a true friend, May." Dawn sighed, laying her chin on her hand, her eyes beginning to water again. She turned her head away so May couldn't see that she was still upset.

She closed her eyes, bringing in the scent of May's kitchen which smelled of pancake and maple syrup. She smiled, a small tear forming in her midnight blue orbs as she remembered him stroking her midnight blue hair, whispering softly in her ears. She remembered him softly touching her cheeks and him tickling her sometimes when she jumped on his back gently in the morning when he wouldn't get off....

Sigh.

Love....

"Dawn, are you okay?" May questioned sympathetically.

"Huh?" Dawn blinked away the tear still in her eye which fell on the counter, immediately covering it up with her sleeve. May noticed the tear Dawn tried to hide but didn't comment on it, not wanting to upset her further.

"You want some pancakes?" She asked instead.

Dawn shook her head, bringing her hand to her head, rubbing her temples. "Nah, that's okay; I'm not hungry. Last night's fight with Paul really..." She searched for the right words, but none of the words sounded right in her mind, so she said didn't finish the sentence.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Thanks, but no," Dawn said, smiling as best as she could at her chestnut hair friend. May shrugged, "Okay."

_So a day when you've lost yourself completely  
Could be a night your life ends  
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving  
All the pain in your  
Hands are shaking cold  
These hands were meant to hold  
Speak to me_

Paul finally sighed and got up groggily. He winced when he saw himself for his eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and he just looked plain awful with his hair going up in all directions. Dawn would have laughed and teased him for such a hairstyle, helping him tame his violet hair with a brush.

He pulled on some pants and tossed his white shirt he usually wore for bed off, replacing it with his dark shirt which showed off his muscles pretty will. He began pouring some orange juice, making a sour face at the bitter taste of the drink when he sipped at it. He groaned, sighed and roughly grabbed his purple jacket from the closet, knocking off other jackets. The kitchen, _this house_, held too many painful memories of him and Dawn.

He needed to get out.

The cool air hit him like a smack to the face.

Oh joy.

He grunted when his phone rang three blocks down. He wasn't about to answer it when it struck him it could be Dawn. He greedily snapped open his phone, growling in annoyance when he saw it was only Lucy. One of the main reasons he and Dawn were _no more._

He was tempted not to pick it up and just let it ring as angry thoughts stormed through his head. However, the phone began ringing again immediately, and his headache began to grow, and not just from the loud ringing. Images and memories of him and Dawn still played in his mind. He flipped open his phone again and pressed the 'Talk' button, only because it would keep her off his mind maybe for a second or so.

"Hello?" His voice sounded bitter and Lucy knew something was wrong.

_"Are you okay?"_ She asked with concern.

"Perfect." He growled sarcastically.

_"What's wrong? You can tell me." _She pressed, her voice determined.

Paul sighed and he wanted to hang up the phone. He didn't though because she would just call back, and he knew more images of him and Dawn would cloud his mind once again. "It's just..." It was none of her business, he thought. "Me and Dawn...we're having complications." Heh, yeah, more than just complications. He thought to himself grouchily.

_"Oh."_ He suddenly regretted telling her that. _"You want me to come over to your house so you can talk about it? You know, get it off your chest?"_

"Might as well..." He grumbled.

_"Great! See you there! And sorry about you and Dawn... Bye!"_ Click.

Paul sighed, hanging up his own phone as he headed back home. He wasn't in the mood to talk about his complications with his love life....

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know ya do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along  
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)_

_Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnggg!_

Paul opened the door, not even bothering to smile for his company.

"Wow, you do look awful!" Lucy commented, brushing a piece of rusty red hair behind her ear. "What is that bad?"

"Oh, no, no!" He said sarcastically, bitterness overtaking his usual more composed voice. "Of course? What made you think it was that serious?"

Lucy flinched, grimacing at his bitterness. "Sorry..." She mumbled, eyes on the ground.

"So..." She trailed on, her feet circling the rug anxiously. "What _happened?_" Her eyes traveled across the room and she gasped and flinched when she saw the broken glass still on the floor which Paul hasn't bothered to clean up.

"Me and Dawn argued, she threw some stuff at me," He said, referring to the glass. "I screamed at her, she got upset and she left me. End of story. Happy?"

"I...guess...?" She replied with a hint of uncertainty. "Why don't you just apologize?"

He sighed. He have considered that, but... 1) He didn't know where she was; 2) He had a feeling Dawn wouldn't forgive him this easily again; 3) It was just too big of a fight.

Though he knew, if he could, he _would_ apologize.

"Ah-hem..." Lucy cleared her throat. He looked at her with a confused look. She raised an eyebrow and then remembered she was waiting for his answer.

"Ohh, yeah..." He said, frowning with another huge sigh. "I can't, I just can't..."

"Why not?"

"I just can't..." He murmured, keeping his sad dark eyes on the ground. "I just can't."

_When everything is wrong we move along  
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)  
When everything is wrong, we move along  
Along, along, along_

"Dawn?" Dawn looked up from rocking Carly, staring into May's concern sapphire one's.

"You wanna go shopping together? It may help you feel better." May said.

"I told May, I'm fine, really." Dawn replied unconvincingly, continuing to rock her violet-hair daughter.

May glared at Dawn, a pout on her lips. "Dawn! I'm serious! I'm taking you shopping whether you like it or not!"

Dawn's eyes widened. "B-but then who's going to watch Carly?!" She exclaimed, her lips quivering.

May giggled. "Oh, stop being such a drama queen! Drew's here! He may not be a father, _yet,_" She whispered, rubbing her wedding ring. "But I assure you he can watch Carly for you while we go shopping."

"Huh? May, are you trying to sign me up for babysitting?" Came Drew's arrogant voice. May giggled nervously. "C'mon, Drew! Do it for Dawn! She had a bad day, err, night last night!"

Drew rolled his eyes but replied, "Fine; I just better not have to change any diapers!"

"Of course not!" May chirped, giggling softly. _"Not." _Dawn said, also giggling now. "Thanks Drew!" Dawn thanked, handing the offspring of her and Paul to Drew then skipped out the door.

"Be back later, honey!" May called, grabbing her purse and some money.

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know ya do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through_

"Where are we going? The Veilstone Mall?" Dawn asked, staring at the fancy stores they passed on the way.

"Hey, you still have your wedding ring on?" May cocked her eyebrow, frowning at the silver ring with fancy diamonds on it.

"Oh." Dawn blushed, stuttering, "I-I'm keeping it so no guys try to hit on me. I'm not ready to move on just yet."

"Oh, okay. I understand."

"So, where are we going?" She questioned again, smoothing down her blue hair which was beginning to frizz up.

"Veilstone Mall."

"Though so." She murmured. The rest of the walk there was quiet.

"Oh! I forgot to bring some money!" Dawn cried in despair as soon as they stepped into the store. "Darn!" She whispered in disappointment.

"That's okay! You can use some of my money. Drew makes a lot of money, so it wouldn't hurt us if we brought you a few stuff." May smiled at her, giving her a friend a hug. "Thanks! You're the best friend ever."

May laughed. "What are best friends for?" They began looking through the store.

Dawn stopped dead in the middle of the store, causing the brunette behind her to collide into her. Still she didn't budge, instead staring silently and painfully at the clothes in front of her.

"Hey, Dawn, why did you stop all of a sudden?" May asked, sounding annoyed.

"Dawn? Dawn? Dawn!" Her voice grew louder. "Huh?" She stepped back, realizing tears were now sliding down Dawn's cheeks. "D-Dawn?" She whispered, touching her best friend's shoulder.

Dawn sniveled, wiping away her salty tears, forcing a smile for Dawn. "I-I'm okay, M-May!" She forced herself to sound cheerful.

"Dawn, what's wrong? Is it Paul?" Dawn nodded, pointing towards the clothes with her index finger. "Paul always gave me clothes just like that. He also gave me a lot of pink shirts because he said they looked r-really...g-good on me." She broke down crying in her friend's arm.

May stroked Dawn's hair, ignoring the other customers staring oddly at them, wandering what was wrong with the blunette.

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know ya do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along_

Paul sighed gratefully as Lucy finally left. He noted it was only a little after six o'clock, but didn't care. He was so exhausted... He climbed into his bed, turning off the lamp and shutting his eyes. Sleep immediately overtook him and before long, he was dreaming of Dawn...

When he woke up the next morning it was 7:17 A.M. He sat up groggily, stretching his arms in a huge, stressed-out yawn. He squinted as sunlight seeped into his blind, burning his eyes like they may a drunken man. He yawned again and got ready: got dressed, shower, brushed teeth, shaved, used mouthwash, flossed, yawned and brushed his teeth again out of nothing else to do.

He checked the time. 8:24 A.M. He scowled, but put on his jacket and walked out the door, making sure to lock everything up. He walked down the road, deciding he would go to the gym there where Drew would be.

"May I see your member pass?" The lady at the counter asked. He rolled his eyes, but showed the dark hair brunette anyways. "Thank you! You may go inside now!" Paul rolled his eyes again, walking right past her.

Paul looked around, deciding what he would do here other than mope around about his love life which was no more because he was a sour prune that was stubborn as a ponyta. Only fifty-million times more stupid. He settled for just lifting arm weights.

Five minutes of lifting weights later Drew entered the gym. He scanned the gym as if looking for someone, then strolled over to Paul a strange look in his eyes.

"Hey, Paul." He greeted, sitting next to him. He began to lift twenty pounds of weight with his arms.

"Drew...." He muttered-greeted, his voice hoarse. He wondered if Drew could see the tortured look his dark eyes.

"I heard—" He stopped, as if testing Paul. "About you and Dawn." He winced, grimacing at the name.

"And?" He asked, trying to ignore the stinging feeling in his chest.

"Oh, nothing." He muttered.

Silence.

"What happened?" Drew finally asked, now flexing his muscles like the conceited person he was.

"Nothing important." He growled. Drew narrowed his eyes, as if saying, "Give me a real answer".

Paul sighed, beginning to rub his temples again. "We just fought, okay?"

"Just?"

"Yes. _Just,_" He growled, giving a warning glare to Drew who just rolled his eyes.

_(Go on, go on, go on, go on)  
Right back is wrong  
We move along  
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)  
Right back what is wrong  
We move along_

_"Poor Dawn,"_ Misty said over the videophone.

May nodded, her eyes reflecting her sadness for her friend. "This break-up thing with Paul, it's taken a pretty hard blow for her. It doesn't take much for her to get reminded of him and then get upset and cry. She tries to cover up her sadness, but all the same I still see it there. Everyday, every second." May whispered, glancing at the sleeping Dawn that was on their powder color couch.

_"I can't believe such a thing would happen to Dawn! Uh, what exactly happened anyway? Was the fight really _that _bad?" _Misty asked, also glancing pass May to where Dawn slept.

May nodded. "I'm not sure what exactly happened, but it must have been crucial." She sighed. "I've been trying to ask Dawn what happened, but she just brushes it off and says it's no big deal."

Misty frowned. _"I can't even imagine the pain she feels every time she's reminded of him. It must be awful...."_

**.X.**

_I felt sad and lonely. I always did when she cried, I hate listening to her cry. Sometimes she would talk to me, tell me everything was alright, no need to worry. Her voice comforted me, listening to her try to sound cheerful though I knew, even though I couldn't see her, that she was faking the happiness. I hated the despair coming off of her in waves. It was just terrible..._

_Just plain terrible...._

_Though she couldn't hear me, I silently tried to comfort her._

**.X.**

"Huh?" May looked up from her videophone chat with Misty, seeing her green haired, green eyed husband into the door. She grinned, giggling at his sweaty muscles. "Bye Mist, gotta go." She hung up just as Misty was about to say goodbye.

_(Go on, go on, go on, go on)  
Right back is wrong  
We move along  
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)  
Right back what is wrong  
We move along_

"Hey, Drew," May whispered flirtatiously, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Anything exciting for once go on at the gym?" She asked, expecting his usual "same old, same old".

"Well, this may not be considered 'new', but I did see Paul like I do at least once a week." May frowned and she checked to make sure Dawn was still asleep. "You did?"

He nodded.

"Uh, what did he... Was he... Anything...?" She frowned, struggling to come up with a question that may suggest Paul regretting the fight he and Dawn had.

Though May did consider him a stupid, knuckle-headed jerk for what he did to Dawn, May secretly wanted them to still be together. "A couple made from Heaven and Hell", she secretly thought to herself, sometimes earning herself a small giggle.

Drew shrugged. "He did look...sort of tired, I guess." He looked away, avoiding eye contact. May would have been suspicious at that, but she was too busy lost in thought.

"Did you talk to him?" Drew nodded again.

"About what?"

"Usual stuff?"

"Did he mention anything about his and Dawn's fight." He bit his lip, but shook his head no. "Nothing? He doesn't even regret that Dawn left him?!" She yelled, furrowing her eyebrows together in frustration, crossing her arms in a pout. Drew shook his head again.

"Darn it!" She yelled, stomping her feet. "Two-faced, mule-ass pig! He breaks Dawn heart and then he doesn't even regret it!"

Drew nodded, without hearing May's angry yells, thinking back to when him and Paul were at the gym.

_"Do you regret her leaving you?" The chartreuse man asked._

_Paul stayed silent for a long time. Finally, he managed to say, "It was her decision; if I had the choice though, I wouldn't have wanted her to leave."_

* * *

**_I was going to make this into the last chapter in Paul's perspective but then I got half-way (or maybe a third of a way) done, and then I got tired so I made this one. Hoped you enjoyed! ^_^ I'm gonna finish and post up that chapter in Paul's perspective one day though! :D Also, pay close attention to the story. There's going to be foreshadowing. *smirks evilly* Mwuhahahahahaha! *lightning strikes* -cough cough- _**

**_Uh... *blushes* Review! xD_**


	6. Moving On

**Disclaimer: **I do not own pokemon, or any of the songs mentioned in this chapter.

Also, listening to _Never Again_ by Kelly Clarkson when it's mentioned and throughout the memory I have in there adds more atmosphere to the story. Same goes for _So What_ by Pink whenever I mention it. The rest. . . *shrugs*.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Moving On**

Dawn sighed, but continued glaring at the reflection of herself. "Coward..." she hissed through her clenched teeth. "Pathetic, worthless, annoying_, stupid_ little girl!" She called herself every name she could think of that _he_ have called her.

It helped her calm her party nerves.

Dawn took one last deep breath and walked out of May's tiny blue-tiled bathroom, straightening her sexy black V-neck dress that hugged and complimented her curves. Unfortunately, she stumbled once in her tall strappy black high heels, almost falling face-down.

"Where are we going?" Dawn asked her brunette friend, May Maple, or soon to be May _Rosalind_. Dawn envied her slightly for being engaged when she had experience such a heart-shattering breakup with her once cold-hearted, but surprisingly _use-to-be_ loving husband. Now he was back to being a jerk though, so it was tough luck for Dawn.

"I already told you, a party!" May exclaimed, smiling happily as she straightened her hair which she curled just for the party.

Dawn rolled her eyes, smiling at her preppy friend. "_Who's_ though?"

May stopped walking, putting a finger on her chin as she thought. "Uhh... I think Brandon Birch, Professor Birch's son I think. I think it's because he won the Pokemon League or something, so he decided to throw a party or whatever." May shrugged, obviously not caring what the reason was.

"So, how do I look?" May asked, giggling cutely as she twirled in her ruby red halter, revealing her dark tights. The long red ribbons in her pig tails twirled with her and bounced with her curls when she finally stopped.

"Great, of course!" Dawn grinned back. "Now c'mon! Let's go pah-ar-tay!"

(At the party)

Loud music blasted from the speakers, and already people were screaming and throwing things around which made Dawn even more skittish.

_This is ten times more noisier than the dances they had during my school before I was a trainer! _Dawn thought to herself, flinching as a nearby guy screamed for some unknown reason. She flinched as another guy started singing the song that was on, his high pitch voice making Dawn wish she was deaf.

"Are people always this crazy at parties?" Dawn asked, half having to shout over the blaring speakers and crazy party-goers.

May gave her a confused look, and Dawn was forced to repeat the question. "Oh! Of course they are!" May yelled, stumbling as a random guy either bumped into her or tripped over her. May shoved the spiky hair brunette male away, a disgusted look on her face. "Let's dance!" she suggested, already starting to move to the beat.

Dawn just nodded her head up and down, slapping her thigh in a rhythmic beat, not wanting to just stand there and sit by the punch bowl.

* * *

"I can't believe you're forcing me to go to this." Paul grumbled, pulling his car into Brandon's driveway.

"It'll be fun!" Drew replied, a sly smirk on his face as he flipped his hair. "Besides, May's going and since she brought a friend of hers, I figured I should do the same." He shrugged, still smirking as he slid out of the car and slammed the door.

The two just walked into the Professor's son's house, not bothering to knock considering it was a party.

Shrieks, laughter and music that vibrated the entire house greeted Paul and Drew. "Looks like the fun already began!" Drew yelled, clapping Paul on the back. "Well, I'm gonna go find May. And you can do whatever ya want."

Paul sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Great..." he mumbled sarcastically. He looked around, spotting the punch bowl not too far away. "Hopefully nobody spiked the punch...." Paul muttered.

_"Since you been gone, I can breathe for the first time! I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah!" _Kelly Clarkson's song "Since U Been Gone" blasted out from the speakers.

Dawn moved her body to the beat, singing the song silently to herself, not really thinking of anything. "I love this song!" Dawn yelled to May over the blasting music.

"Agreed." May nodded, grinning as Drew came towards her, a glass of punch in each hand.

"For my dear," He purred in her ears, handing her a cup.

Dawn's stomach churned as envy welled up in her stomach, turning her moment of contentness into jealousy. "May is so lucky..." Dawn mumbled to herself. "She doesn't have a jerk for a husband... or boyfriend." She corrected herself. _"Or ex-husband now."_

_"That's all you ever hear me say, but since you been gone!"_

Dawn sighed as May and Drew started a makeout session in front of her. "Get a room!" she yelled, more angry at herself than the two happy couple.

Of course, they ignored her. Like Dawn really cared though.

Dawn went over to the punch bowl, pushing her way through the crowd, annoyed at all the people crowded around. She pushed random people out of the way, yelling "Go somewhere else!" and "Out of my way!".

"Stupid party people," she mumbled, blocking the way. She took a small glass cup and filled it with the tropical punch.

"Arceus!" she cursed-yelled as a person bumped into her, making the red fruity drink spill on her ink-black dress.

"Sorr- huh?"

Dawn turned around, cocking an eyebrow. Her mouth formed an 'O' of surprise when she who it was, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. She swallowed once and then again as her throat dried once more.

_"How can I put it? You put me on. I even fell for the stupid love song. Yeah, yeah. Since you been gone." _

"Ugh! I can't believe this!" she screeched, pushing even more random intoxicated people away, even more angry than before. "Flippin' Arceus, for the love of . . . !" She cursed the whole way, stomping her feet as she made her way to May and Drew.

"Hey!" May cried as Dawn pulled her away from Drew.

"Hey!" Drew cried at the same time, flicking his hair and scowling.

"Don't 'hey!' me Drew!" Dawn growled. "Because you can _not _convince me that Paul was _not _the 'friend' you had to go pick up right before the party!"

Drew blinked in feigned shock, his eyes widening. "No, Paul is here? Oh. Em. Gee. What a crisis!" He spat sarcastically.

May glared at him along with Dawn.

"What happened? Did he do anything mean to you?" May asked, hugging her sympathetically.

Dawn shook her head, squirming out of May's tight grip. "Well, no . . . but, I can't believe he's here! Even more though I can't believe what a sly fox Drew is, bringing him here!"

May opened her mouth, ready to defend her husband-to-be.

"You know it's true May, so don't bother defending him!" Dawn snapped, glaring at the brunette. May's small mouth tightened into a pout, but she said nothing. "Uggh, what am I going to do?" Dawn asked.

May shrugged. "Just stay and party."

"Thanks for the _helpful _advice." Dawn said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, here he comes right now!" May whispered, her eyes lighting up.

Dawn suddenly had a feeling she was in the middle of a matchmaking show, and May was a romance novel reading person who believes that opposite in fact do attract and that once they do, they will always attract. Dawn had a feeling May thought that, and wanted to match make her with Paul again.

A new song by the same artist started to play.

Dawn turned around, finding that he was coming closer to where they were standing. She peeked over May's shoulder, finding that Paul was now talking to Drew. It didn't look like they were arguing though.

"Aww, I love this song!" May said, grabbing Dawn's hand, twirling them closer to Drew and Paul. Dawn looked away, feeling her cheeks warm up, and she forced herself to glare at the ground when she did look at him.

"Pathetic, weakling, annoying girl, troublesome..." she whispered to herself, her eyes starting to hurt as she started concentrating too hard on the ground.

_"I've learned the harder way, to never let it get that far."_

**DPOV**

I sighed heavily in my mind, closed my eyes for a brief second, and then reopened them.

_Paul . . ._

Paul.

I won't let him ruin this for me! I decided finally, forcing my head to lift back up, letting my eyes soften.

I'm going to show him I can have fun without him! I won't let him control my life!

_Like he has been. . . ._ I thought sadly to myself.

I giggled as May and I started twirling faster and faster and faster and...

_**WHAM!!**_

_Thud!_

My mouth opened in a scream of silent pain and my hand slowly and shakily made its way to my poor, poor throbbing head. "What the hell . . .?" I mumbled-cursed, my teeth clenching together.

What did I hit? It was like hitting . . .

"Would you get OFF of me, troublesome?!" A harsh voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up, seeing my **EX** _right there_. His face was only about half a foot away. I just then realized my body was against his steel hard six-packed abdomen. My face went many shades of red as I also made the realization that my hand was . . . well, between his legs. Uh, you figure the rest out. Honestly though, the blushing was mainly from being so close to him after so long.

"Oops, sorry Dawn!" May apologized, her face red from embarrassment. Or was it from laughter?

"I said can you get OFF OF ME!" Paul asked again, though to me it was like a trumpet blasting loudly into my ears.

I scowled, as he pushed me off, and immediately I felt hurt.

It was like my journey with Ash all over again, minus Ash, Brock and the journey. Oh, and minus the confession and the kiss. He was still a heartless bastard.

"Sorry!" I hissed through clench teeth, blinking back my angry tears. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, a pout taking its place on my lips. "Maybe if you said 'please' once in a while, I _would_ get off more quickly!"

Paul scowled too. "Figures. You're still as troublesome as you were a week ago." He sneered.

I gritted my teeth together, forcing myself not to gasp or cry out.

"And you're still a bastard who doesn't consider others feelings, only **his own **_**goddamn feelings**_!" I literally screamed back, quickly finding myself lose control.

Wow. And it's only been a minute too, and already I want to commit murder.

But then again, it is _him_.

The heartless, ruthless asshole.

Paul blinked, apparently unfazed by my reaction.

His underreaction only made me angrier, and I felt my heartbeat race faster in my anger, and knowing me, my face was probably going red too, a sign I was about to snap and blow up at somebody.

"Whatever!" I huffed, sneering at the purple hair man. "I don't need to waste my time arguing with _you_. I've moved on!" I shouted, stomping away from Paul and the small crowd that have gathered around.

**Normal POV**

"Aw come on Dawn, don't let Paul upset you!" May said, wrapping a comforting arm around her blue-hair friend. "Don't let that jerk ruin the party for you. Come on, lets show Paul how much fun you can have without him!"

Dawn thought about this for a second. She gave a contented smile.

"Yeah, you're right," she told May. "Come on, lets go party! For REAL!"

**"Okay, fellow party-goers! Lets crank up the volume and have some REAL PARTY MUSIC IN HERE!" **The DJ shouted, trying his best to be heard over the roar of the party-attenders.

"WHOOOOOO!" The crowd cheered in response.

**"Okay, first we have 'Hey Baby' by No Doubt!"**

"Whoooo!" Dawn yelled, laughing as she and May shook their hips to the music, then bumped hips.

_"Hey baby, hey baby, hey  
Girls say, boys say  
Hey baby, hey baby hey  
Hey baby, baby"_

May and Dawn sung the whole song along with the artist of the song as the music poured out with a creative beat from the stereo.

Soon enough a new song was playing, and then another, and another and another. By now both May and Dawn's throat were killing them, yet still they sang along with the party songs the DJ played, laughing as they did so.

"This is so much fun!" Dawn yelled in a hoarse voice, swaying her hips.

"Yeah!" May shouted, giggling hysterically as she watched a boy pour soda down another boy's pants. "C'mon Dawn," May giggled, grabbing hold of Dawn's hand as she dragged her away. "Lets get something to eat!"

"Aww! Almost all the food is gone!" May pouted, frowning at the measly amounts of cupcakes and cookies crumbs with only two plates of cake left on the table. "Maybe there's another table with food on it somewhere . . . ." May mumbled mostly to herself, handing Dawn a plate of cake. "Oh well! This cake still looks yummy!"

_"It was you __who chose to end it the way you did, I was the last to know"_

"Never Again" by Kelly Clarkson played in the background.

"Hm? Hey Dawn don't you want your cake?" May questioned, still holding Dawn's slice of chocolate cake. "Dawn?" She followed her friend's gaze, frowning as they landed on . . .

"Hey! Is that Paul with who I think it is? Wait - is he k-ki-kissing her?" May stuttered. "Dawn?" May gave Dawn an anxious glance, feeling her heart sink at the sad look on Dawn's face.

"Y-yeah it is." Dawn muttered, trying to hide her face, blinking away the tears from her eyes that threatened to fall. She dared glance again at Paul who currently had his lips on... on...

Lucy.

He had her body press agaist a wall, his arm above her head, just like what Paul and_ her_ use to do. Memories of before they were married, before they had Carly ran through her mind; memories of her and Paul and their "dirty little secret".

Sigh.

Those were the days.

"Dawn? Dawn? Dawn?" May's worried voice snapped her out of her dreamland. "Are you okay?"

Dawn nodded, though her heart felt way more shallow than before and her eyes stung with unshed tears.

_"Does it hurt to know I'll never be there? Bet it sucks, to see my face everywhere!"_

"I'm perfectly fine!" Dawn lied, smiling to prove her point.

_Looks like he moved on . . . . _She noted to herself, feeling her eyes sting once more as she recalled what she saw. _To bigger and better things. Better than me anyways._

"You sure?"

"Yep!" The two of us said nothing for a while.

May just studied her friend with a worry expression on her face. Meanwhile, Dawn just thought back to the times she and Paul would secretly sneak around other's backs, sharing secrets kisses and words.

She preferred the days back when Paul was selfish of her.

At least then she knew he cared. Now - she wasn't sure, it felt like a _don't_ _care_ to her though.

* * *

**_"Rude jerk! How dare he call my pokemon weak? I'll show him next time!" Ash grumbled angrily to himself as Brock and pikachu just sweat dropped._**

**_"Yeah, he sure is a jerk!" Dawn played along with her friends. "You'll get him next time!"_**

**_"Hey, where are you going Dawn?" Brock questioned as Dawn started to secretly meet up with Paul._**

**_"Um, I wanna see if there's a teddiursa nearby. I thought I saw a shiny one while Ash and Paul were battling, but I wanted to cheer for Ash so I didn't leave to catch it. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" Dawn told her friends, lying of course._**

**_"If you say so." Ash shrugged._**

**_"Hope you find your shiny teddiursa!" Brock called back to the blunette._**

**_Dawn grinned as she saw Paul just a few yards away, leaning against a tree. "Sorry to keep you waiting," Dawn whispered, giving him a quick peck on the lips, slipping a note into his hand._**

**_"Don't worry, I don't mind." Paul whispered into her ears before she headed back to her friends, a smirk on his lips. _**

**_Dawn giggled, giving him one more peck on the lips. "See you tonight!" _**

**_Paul unfolded the note, smiling as he read it. On the note she wrote:_**

_Meet me tonight at that big old oak tree that looks like an old ursaring. Around 10 o'clock, okay?_

_See you then!_  
_  
--XOXO Dawn _

**_She always met up with him, give him a note that said where and when she wanted to meet. It was a pattern they had. Sneak around, sneak around some more, and then spend time together, whispering to each other with love clear in their voices._**

**_But of course time changes._**

* * *

Back then their love was so simple: They knew they could count on the other showing to the selected spot they would meet at. They knew they would always come, _always!_ They could depend on each other, and yet, all along their relationship was balanced on a thin thread of string. They balanced each out perfectly, but it would only be so long before that string could hold both of them, especially when something bigger, heavier was dropped on them, wearing out the thread until the thread finally couldn't take anymore. Dawn and Paul only recently found out what that something bigger, heaviner something was.

Their relationship back when it was there "dirty little secret" was like a secret stash of candy: simple, sweet and something meant to be kept a secret. Now there relationship is like . . . a romantic story with no happy ending. Or a romance novel with the end and a few other pages ripped out, never truly telling the ending and never exactly telling the whole story.

Dawn glanced back at Paul.

He was whispering something to Lucy, and she giggled at whatever he said.

_Plip! Plop! Plip! Plop! Plip! Plop!_

_Plop plop! Plip! Plop! Plip-plip! _

_Plop-plop-plop plip!_

"Huh?" Dawn frowned, heading towards the door that led outside that was currently open. She peered outside, seeing large drops of rain splatter everywhere.

"Come on everybody lets go party in the rain!" some random guy with a buzz cut and a huge tattoo on his arm yelled, running towards the door.

"Come on May!" Dawn urged, pulling May outside in the pouring rain.

A new song came on.

_"Na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na!"_

Dawn stepped out into the rain, ignoring how cold the rain really was and how much tighter her black dress duddenly felt on her, clinging to her skin. The rain was so cold! She felt the rain soaking her to the bone, yet she ignored it, now twirling and spinning, faster and faster in the rain.

May joined her.

_"I guess I just lost my boyfriend, don't know where he went!" _Dawn sang the words perfectly with the singer that was on over the stereo. _"So I'm gonna spend my money, I'm not gonna pay his rent!"_

It's odd, Dawn thought, shivering as she continued to spin in the rain. _I just lost _my_ husband, and now here I am singing a song about somebody who just lost their's._

Oh well. Dawn decided she didn't care and just continued singing at the top of her lungs, May and everybody else outside joining her. She ignored how her throat burned and continued singing, as if her dear life depended on it.

_"I got a brand new attitude! And I'm gonna wear it tonight! I'm gonna get in trouble, I wanna start a fight!" _A few people from inside were even joining the singing now.

Dawn bounced up and down on her toes the best as she could in her strappy heels, her hair spilling messily in front of her face.

_"Na, na, na, na, na, na, na! I wanna start a fight! Na, na, na, na, na, na, na! I wanna start a fight!" _Dawn was literally singing on the top of her lungs, bouncing up and down crazily on her black high heels.

**_"You're late," Paul noted as Dawn came into the clearing, the campfire burning as strong as ever._**

**_"Sorry," Dawn apologized, scratching her head sheepishly. "I had a hard time getting away from Ash an Brock this time. You see Team Rocket came and we had to fight them off. You're not mad are you?" Dawn asked nervously, twirling her hair with her finger._**

**_Paul chuckled. "Of course not." He replied softly as he held Dawn in his arms, noticing what Dawn was wearing._**

Dawn was glad it was raining.

. . . That way it hid her tears.

**_"You wear that when you go sleep?" Paul teased, smirking as he kissed his girlfriend's forehead. _**

**_"Pervert!" Dawn giggled, snuggling closer to Paul. She felt content being snuggled up to Paul with his cologne surrounding her, and a campfire warming her legs, the stars shining as brightly as ever, and the moon even glowing with a white light. Everything looked so peaceful, as if it too were content with everything._**

**_The night couldn't have been more perfect; if only it could have lasted forever. . . ._**

**_

* * *

_**

**PPOV**

_"So, so what, I'm still a rockstar!" _A whole crowd of party-goers shouted, singing along to the song, having a good time. _"I got my rock moves and I don't need you!"_

I looked out the door and at every crazy person who was outside in the rain, dancing and singing and just plain having fun in the downpour that was happening.

And right in the middle of the crowds of screaming people singing to the Pink song was Dawn, my ex-wife singing with her eyes closed as if there was no tomorrow.

She was hopping up and down, managing to do so without tripping, her head bopping up and down with the creative beat of the song_. _

_"And guess what I'm having more fun_," She sang, laughing as her brunette friend slipped on the grass, falling on her butt. The brunette was laughing too, and now Dawn was helping her friend up.

_"And now that we're done I'm gonna show you tonight_!" They continued singing, now bouncing up and down together still laughing and just plain_ having fun._

I guess she doesn't need you to have a good time, I thought bitterly to myself.

"Come on Paul!" Lucy chirped from behind me, grabbing my hand. "Let go party in the rain!" She led me outside, and now we were only a few meters away from Dawn and her friend who continued to ignore me.

_"I'm alright, I'm fine and you're just a fool!" _They continued to sing, laughing to themselves about who-knows-what. _"So, so what, I am a rockstar! I got my rock moves and I don't want you tonight!"_

They both collapsed to their knees, still laughing crazily, like little six year olds on laughing gas. They slapped their thighs, grinning widely and unable to quit laughing, barely managing to even sing out the last few verses of the song. Of course they still did, their singing coming out in wheezes.

_"Yo-you... there... never were... that's... not fair... I gave you life... ... ... you let... me fall!" _I just noticed that Lucy have just joined in on the singing, I chuckled, twirling with her in the rain.

Dawn collapsed to the grass in laughter, the brunette collapsing on top of her, wheezing and laughing.

Too bad Drew's not here to see this, I thought. He liked things like these, or more specifically as Drew had put it, he liked seeing May in wet clothes.

Drew was a pervert and even _I_ knew that! Well, actually everybody knew that. At least he isn't like those kind of perverts that stalk people. That's just freaky, gross and desperate.

_"I'm alright, I'm just fine and you're just a fool!"_ My attention turned back to Dawn who was now on her back, May on her belly, her eyes closed and her face merry as she continued to sing. _"So, so what, I am a rockstar, I got my rock moves and I don't want you tonight. . . ."_

A relaxed and content smile was on her face, as if she was recalling a happy memory.

_"I'm alright, I'm just fine and you're just a fool. So, so what, I am a rockstar."_ She whispered, her eyes still closed and the content smile still on her face. _"I got my rock moves and I don't want you tonight!"_

It just hit me what kind of song this was that Dawn was singing along to.

"You look distracted," Lucy noted, placing a hand on my cheek. She stood on her tip toes, her lips just inches away from me. "Are you alright?"

I smirked. "Just fine." I whispered. She giggled, filling in the space between our lips.

"Good." She whispered.

* * *

**_I wanted to actually add more to this story, but honestly I'm still deciding what I want to do with this story. ^^; I know the major things that are going to happen, but how, that's the part I'm working on. _****_And sorry for the late update! ^^; I wanted to make this chapter perfect so I did and re-did this chapter like at least... 5 times! 0.0;_**

**_Hope you enjoyed this chapter! =D_**

**_Please leave a review if you did! (I'm hoping to have at least 80 reviews by the next time I update! Of course 90 would be nice too, but I won't get my hopes up) (Also try not to kill me ^___^; )_**


	7. Socializing With An Ex

**Disclaimer:** Trust me, if I owned pokemon I would have invented a way to bring to life a real totodile! xD Too bad, I don't have a "real life" totodile that can eat, breathe and all the rest, so um, yeah no ownership of pokemon for me! :D

**Chapter Six: Socializing With An Ex**

Dawn smiled contently at the card she held in her hands, giggling as she listened to her own voice followed by Carly's voice every time she opened up the card. She placed the card in an envelope it would fit in, scribbling all the needed information on the card.

"Come on, Carly!" The young mom said, picking up her daughter as she walked out of her apartment and locked it up. "Time to go to the post office!"

**-x-.-x-**

"You got mail." Lucy said to Paul, placing a lavender color envelope right in front of him along with a very light cornflower blue envelope, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

Two months have passed since his and Dawn's divorce and a month since he last saw her which was at Brandon's party. It's been two months since he had last seen Carly too which really was bothering him. After all, which dad wouldn't miss his one year old daughter that shared his hair color? Not that he didn't expect this, but he couldn't help but feel slightly hurt that Dawn wouldn't even let him see Carly. Or at least, that's the impression he got from the way she acts whenever she sees him.

Today that fact was especially bothering him due to what day it was: Father's Day.

"Huh?" He was surprised when he saw who it was from. He glanced quickly at Lucy who obviously hadn't cared enough to see who the envelopes were from. If she did, she probably wouldn't have even given them to him.

"Who are the envelopes from?" Lucy asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Someone I know," He replied, quickly covering up the name.

If Lucy knew these envelopes were from Dawn she would throw a _fit._ That was one trait about Lucy that annoyed Paul. Paul liked Lucy as a friend, especially back when they younger, when they were both seven and eight, but now as adults Lucy had developed a crush on him, and she gets _extremely_ jealous over girls who even talk to Paul, especially his ex-wife, Dawn. If he even mentioned her and she would throw a fit. Of course Dawn was jealous over Lucy too, but she didn't exactly voice the jealousy as much as Lucy back when they were together.

Paul walked into the bedroom Lucy and him shared (the room he and Dawn also _use to_ share), taking out the card from inside it.

"Happy Father's Day," He mumbled, studying the cover of the card. The card was white with two teddy bears on it, one bigger than the other. The card was covered in white glitter that fell off and covered his bed with the glitter, and with the words "Happy Father's Day!" in pink cursive letters that were covered in pink glitter.

He opened up the card only to be greeted with a message that was recorded there the day before.

"Happy Father's Day!" Dawn's cheery voice greeted him, followed by a giggle. "Carly and I hope you have a GREAT Father's Day! Isn't that right, Carly?"

"Daddy!" A baby's girl voice piped in, followed by a giggle from Dawn.

"Happy Father's Day!" She said one last time before the message ended.

Paul couldn't help but smile at his daughter's voice.

He instantly recognized Dawn's handwriting, the way she dots her i's with hearts and her slightly slanted words that sometimes overlapped each other. He saw a signature from Carly that was messy and it took him a while to read the name. Dawn obviously had to help Carly write her name.

_Carly and I both wish you a perfect and special Father's Day. Carly misses you too. You should come see her to make her happy. She also learned her first word just the other day which if you heard our message it was 'Daddy'. Carly hopes that makes you proud of her._

_Love, _

_Dawn & Carly_

Next to Carly's signature there was a tiny, pudgy hand sign which he guessed could only be Dawn. Knowing Dawn she probably covered it in something (something that was a hot pink color) and had Carly put her hand there, creating the hand shape.

As much as Paul would hate to say it especially after two months of Dawn keeping Carly away from him, it really was thoughtful and kind of her to send him a Father's Day card, especially when he had neglected in sending her a Mother's Day card. (Not that he could have anyway without Lucy thinking he was 'falling for her again' and having to deal with her screaming and tears).

Maybe it was a bit unfair of Paul to just assume Dawn would just go on hating his guts and ignoring him for the rest of her life, doing nothing but hate him, taking care of Carly and doing whatever else she does. He should have known as preppy and optimistic Dawn usually is she wouldn't live her entire life hating him.

"Oh, so _she_ sent you that," Lucy's voice came from the doorway. Paul silently cursed under his breath. She must have followed him and heard Dawn's voice. "Figures." She said bitterly with anger mixed into her words.

"Well, I _am_ a Father," He snapped back, a scowl on his face.

Here comes a bitch fit.

"Did she send you the other card too?" She asked, crossing her arms with a bitter look on her pale features.

Okay, not yet. But it will come. We _are _talking about Lucy, a _jealous_ Lucy.

"Huh?" He completely forgot about the other envelope, but yeah, he remembered seeing that the other envelope was also by Dawn. He picked up the other cornflower blue envelope and pretends to look at it then shook his head no.

"No, it's from Drew." He lied. Lucy just shrugged, a sour look still on her face as she walked out of the room, asking no more questions.

The other card was also from Dawn. Why would _Drew_ send Paul a card?

Once he was sure Lucy really did go Paul opened up the envelope, finding another card inside, only this one was smaller and only white, just plain white. On it though was Dawn's purple hand writing.

_Dear Paul,_

_Happy Father's Day (for the billionth time already), hope your day is going okay so far. If you get this card by this day (Father's Day; which you should, if not, the post office is screwed up big time), I would like to know if you would like to spend some time with Carly who really has been missing you. If you do decide to take up this offer (and if you don't you're a jerk to your daughter), call me. You know my number._

_Dawn_

It's a good thing Lucy doesn't snoop at my mail, Paul thought to himself. Or else she would be going hysterical after reading this.

"Hey Lucy, I'm going out to train, alright?" Paul said, heading out the door.

"O-oh, okay!" Lucy replied, waving at him as he left.

Of course that wasn't what he really planned. As soon as he was a good ten meters away from his house he took out his cell phone and dialed his ex's number. It took a while before somebody actually picked up.

_"Hey Paul!"_ A cheery voice chirped from the other end of the phone. _"Carly say 'hi' to Daddy!"_ Paul heard Dawn whisper to their daughter who replied sleepily with something that sounded almost like 'Daddy'.

Paul chuckled silently.

_"Uh, she says hi."_

Paul wasn't sure what to say after this. He hadn't spoken to his wife—err, ex-wife for so long.

"About your... invitation, I would um, like to take it up." Paul said uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

_"Really? Great!" _Dawn's voice chirped merrily. _"Where would you like to go? And when?"_

"Uh, right now?" He replied while quickly thinking of a place to go to. "And how about... Gardenia Rosetia?"

There was a short, surprised silence at Dawn's end of the phone.

_"O-oh! Okay! Sure!"_ She replied. _"Carly and I will be there in a bit! Bye!"_

"See ya." Paul mumbled, ending the phone call as he continued walking down the road until he was at the entrance of the fancy restaurant. He waited until he saw Dawn's car, a red sports car and jogged towards the car.

Sure enough, there was Dawn dressed in a pink crop top with a piplup and buneary on it, and a jean skirt with black tights wearing black boots that went just below her knee. She wore a pink ribbon in her blue hair, and was holding his daughter in one hand. Carly was dressed in a frilly pink dress with black dress shoes on. In Carly's hair there was also many pink ribbons in her curly lavender hair and she was holding a furry bubblegum color teddiursa Paul have given her for her first birthday.

Dawn smiled as she saw Paul, waving to him.

**Paul's POV**

"Hn." I grunted frowning as the blunette wrapped her arms around me, hugging me.

For a woman who would throw glass objects at me and scream at me just a few months ago, she was acting as if we were long-time friends (which in a way we kind of were in a way) rather than divorced parents who hated each other's guts… This is really how our relationship pretty much ended. Her throwing stuff at me and screaming herself and me deaf, and of course I had to be stupid and play the whole 'I don't care if you leave' crap. I admit (and this is the only confession you're getting out of me) I wish she _hadn't_ left, and yes, I should have stopped her, but I didn't. Because I'm _stupid_.

But I've on now. I don't regret the decision as much as I use to. Dawn and I splitting up were for the best of us and Carly. Imagine, if we didn't I wouldn't have any glass cups or plates or bowls left, and Carly would spend her life listening to her parents argue with each other and hating each other.

So yep. It wasn't just for me and Dawn; it was also for Carly.

"I haven't seen you in so long!" she chirped, finally ending the long, painful hug. "How have you been?"

I looked away, avoiding her eyes. "Fine." I grunted as I crossed my arms.

Dawn nodded. "Same here." She glanced around, shifting Carly to her other arm to hold. "So, um… let's go inside?"

I nodded, silently leading the way.

Dawn and I found a seat for two that also included a booster seat in the back of the outside garden restaurant. While we waited for a waiter to show up Dawn did most of the talking.

"So… what have you been up to in the last month?" Dawn questioned, smiling cheerfully at me. Obviously she was trying her best not to let any awkward silences into the conversation.

I shrugged, replying, "Not much." I allowed a small smile to grace my lips as I watched Carly throw the pink teddiursa up in the air and then catch it.

"Gaa-yaa!" She giggled, throwing the bear again and catching it. Her lavender curls bounced every time she caught the bear.

"I…I saw you and um… L-Lucy d-dancing together at um… Brandon's party." Dawn mentioned, still smiling as big as ever, though I noticed it looked more force than before.

I decided to ignore this fact though.

"Hn. Yeah…" I grumbled, feeling my cheeks warm slightly.

Why is she bringing this up?

I allowed myself to see Lucy in my head, imagining her wavy rust-color hair that would blow gently whenever the wind decided to arise. Okay, even if Lucy's jealousy does annoy me, she is my girlfriend now. Besides, she has a likable traits and qualities about her that make me smiles every time I see them. For example, her dimples whenever she smiles that just brighten her face.

There was a moment of silence before Dawn quickly asked, "A-are you two going out?" She blinked innocently at me, curiosity in her dark blue eyes.

"Ye -"

"Aww! What a cute little baby!" A pink hair waitress wearing a maid outfit gushed, gawking wide-eyes at Carly. "Is she yours and Lucy's?" She asked me.

Is sighed.

I knew this girl. She usually ends up being mine and Lucy's waitress whenever we go to this place (which is often because we both don't know how to cook). She was mine and Lucy's waitress back when I was still with Dawn, and Lucy and I were just friends.

"Eck-hem!" Dawn cleared her throat, her face a light strawberry pink as she narrowed her eyes angrily at the waitress.

"Hm? Oh hello!" The waitress greeted in her western accent, flashing a white-tooth smile. "I didn't see ya there! So where's Lucy? And is this a friend of yours?" Melanie the waitress questioned, turning back to me.

"Lucy's not here and -" I stated.

"And I'm Dawn." The blunette introduced herself. "And I guess you can say I'm a friend of his."

"Nice to meet ya! I am a bit curious about why Lucy isn't here with her dau -"

"Oh! I also forgot to introduce you!" Dawn interrupted a vein popping as she continued to smile hugely. "This is Carly! She's _mine_ and Paul's daughter!"

Melanie glanced at me then Dawn and back at me. "Oh! I see! So _yours_ and Paul'sdaughter, eh?" The pinkette glanced suspiciously at me.

My face went warm, already having a clue on what she was thinking. I glared at Dawn through the corner of my eyes. She ignored my glare though, keeping her eyes on Melanie.

"Yep. She's _my_ daughter. My daughter…"

I let out a huge breath of air. Okay, so Dawn is obviously trying to make it clear to Melanie that Carly is _her_ daughter and _not_ Lucy's. That's pretty much it. She wants nobody mistaking Carly as Lucy's.

"Ah!" Melanie snapped her finger, her face brightening. "So _you_ were the wife Paul would be talking about with Lucy!"

Dawn narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. "Paul talked about me? They better not have been talking smack…" She glared at me.

Her words were more of a warning than anything else.

"Of course not!" Melanie laughed. "Whenever I heard Paul talk about you it was about the _amazing_ food you would make, or your skills as coordinators! Oh, oh! And once I heard him talking about -"

"Aren't you going to ask what we want to eat?" I snapped impatiently, glaring at the pinkette.

"Hmph! Fine!" Melanie shot me a sour look. "What would you like to eat?"

"Ooh! I never knew this restaurant sold shrimp!" I heard Dawn chirp happily. "Now what should I have…? Hm…"

I rolled my eyes, giving a sigh before giving my order. "I'll have a baked potato and a T-bone steak."

"Ugh! This is hard! Maybe I should get the shrimp…" Dawn muttered to herself, glaring into the menu. "But tomatoes sound so good right now!" She looked up thoughtfully. "Maybe I could dip the shrimp in ketchup…"

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "What's with the weird food cravings?"

"Huh?" Her face flushed red. "What are you talking about? These cravings are not weird!" She turned her attention back to the menu a scowl plastered on her face.

"Aha! I know!" She said finally, grinning like usual. "I would like a hash brown and a fruit salad with shrimp for a side dish, please!"

"Would you like the shrimp big or small? And how many?"

"Uh… three big ones. I'm not that hungry." Dawn replied.

"Cocktail sauce?"

"Yes please!"

"Okay! Your order should be ready in five to ten minutes!" Melanie chirped her twin braids hitting her back as she skipped away.

"Okay, what were we talking abou -" Suddenly there was a loud burst of noise, followed by the song "Holla Back Girl" by Gwen Stefani (I recognized the song due to it was one of the songs Dawn forced me to listen to).

"Hey Zoe!" Dawn greeted on the end of the phone. "Um… I'm a little busy right now… yeah, uh huh… mhm!… Sure! I'll go shopping with you for contest outfits tomorrow!… Sure!… Okay, bye!"

Ending the conversation, Dawn stuffed her white chocolate cell phone back into the purse she bought with her.

"That was Zoey?" I questioned, raising an eye brow.

"Yeah. I just changed her ring tone. I changed everybody's ring tone!" She told me with a kind smile. "Like I changed May's to 'Glamorous', Misty's to 'Miss Independent', and Ash's to -"

"When did you change the ring tones?" I asked curiously.

"Oh! A month ago!" She replied cheerily.

"What you change my ring tone to?" I asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow when her face flushed red.

"Err… I didn't change your ring tone." she answered quickly, avoiding my eyes by watching Carly. "I forgot to."

Not believing that excuse one bit, I decided I would find out what my ring tone was myself. In a blink of an eye I whipped out my cell phone (a Blackberry; a gift from Dawn) and quickly punched in her number.

Dawn's eyes widened as she realized what she was going to do. Clumsily, she pulled her cell phone back out.

"_**I hope the ring you gave to her,  
Turns her finger green  
I hope when you're in bed with her  
You think of me…."**_

Somehow the new ring tone for me didn't surprise me one bit. Actually, in a way it sort of… amused me.

I smirked.

"Hmph. I hope you realize I could have picked a worse song for you." Dawn said, scowling at the table as she put her cell phone back away. "Besides I decided I was going to change the ring tone after I got back from this… lunch thing."

"Oh, and which song could you have put as my ring tone?" I asked, my smirk widening.

Dawn pouted, replying somberly, "I suppose 'Happy Ending', 'Before He Cheats' -"

"I never cheated on you!" I snapped, my muscles going tight in annoyance.

This time she smirked. "So? That doesn't mean I still can't have it as a ring tone. The song is fun to listen to, and the music video is funny to watch." Her smirk grew bigger.

I said nothing, instead I just watched Carly suck on her thumb, staring at the two of us with her big blue eyes. With Dawn's eyes.

"Or I could have had your ring tone as 'Picture To Burn' by Taylor Swift which was actually my ring tone for you after our divorce."

Again I decided not to say anything.

"But I do plan on changing the current ring tone I have for you." Dawn reminded me, twirling a lock of her blue hair in around her pointer finger. "Want to know what to?"

"Hn." I grunted.

"I'm planning on changing it to 'Best Days' by Kellie Pickler. You haven't heard that song, have you?"

"Well, considering you aren't in the household anymore, no, I haven't." I stated coldly. "What's that song suppose to be about?"

"The best days," Dawn answered mysteriously, still smirking. "Of _somebody'_s life."

This time I smirked. "Oh yeah, because being with me was the best days of your life wasn't it? Not when you were with Ash, not right now. But when you were with me." Okay, I sounded so smug, but I couldn't help it.

"You really haven't heard the song have you?" She asked playfully. "Or the music video that goes with it."

"No. Why?" I asked indifferently as I folded my arms on the table.

Dawn's smirk grew. "The guy in the music video gets hit by a bus."

"You're lying." I stated.

Dawn shrugged. "You haven't seen the music video. You wouldn't know." She sighed dramatically saying, "But if you don't believe, oh well. Nothing I can do."

I blinked indifferently, earning an annoyed growl from the blunette as she crossed her arms and slumped in her seat.

"Here's your lunch!" Melanie chirped setting our lunch on the table.

"Finally!" Dawn exclaimed, her grin returning as she dug into her fruit salad, wolfing down the salad like she hadn't eaten in days.

"She's a hungry one, isn't she?" Melanie laughed.

"Well I have to eat. After all, I'm eating for two here." Dawn said through a mouth full of hash brown and ketchup.

"Huh? Wait - you don't mean…?" Melanie gasped, covering her mouth as she suppressed a squeal.

Dawn grinned. "Surprise!" She glanced quickly at me through the corner of her eyes.

I cocked an eye brow, not getting any of this.

"Congratulations!" Melanie squealed, hugging Dawn.

"Thanks!"

"Okay, WHAT are you two talking about?" I asked, annoyed at being left in the dark.

"You are so lucky Paul!" Melanie exclaimed, giggling as she clapped me on the back. "I wish I had children of my own!" Melanie sighed, a dreamy look on her face as she slowly slumped to the floor contently.

I glanced at Carly who was still playing with her pink teddiursa. "Yes… I am lucky…?" I said quietly, still not getting any of this.

"Well, I better go ya'll. I have many more orders to take! So see ya! Hope to see you again Dawn!" The western girl called as she skipped away to a different table, still giggling madly.

"What was that about?" I questioned.

Dawn frowned. "You didn't get it?"

"Get what?"

She sighed in frustration. "You are starting to act dense like Ash! Have you been hanging around with him lately?" She asked.

"No," I scoffed. "I've been with Lucy."

"Hmm… I wonder what Lucy would do if she knew…" she trailed off, side-glancing at me every now and then.

"If she knew what?" I asked, my annoyance at the blue hair girl rising. "What are you talking about? Why are you even mentioning Lucy?"

The blunette scowled, replying defensively, "I'm only mentioning her because you brought her up! I was just wondering what she would do if -"

"If what?" I snapped. "That we got back together? Yeah, will that's never going to happen!"

"What the hell? I didn't even say anything like that!" she yelled, standing up as she slammed her fists against the table. "Arceus, you haven't changed at all have you?!"

"No, I haven't!" I snapped, standing up too, continuing, "And obviously you're still annoying as ever!"

"This isn't even supposed to be about me!" Dawn said shrilly, tears in her eyes. "It's supposed to be about YOU spending time with your daughter!"

"Well, that's hard to do with you in the way!" I retorted.

"You know what? This is the last nice thing I'm ever going to do for you!" She yelled, grabbing her purse and swinging it over her shoulder.

"Carly and I are going! You obviously don't care about your daughter enough to at least be nice to me when I'm letting you spend time with her! And I thought today would be a great day to break the news! Obviously I was wrong!" She said the last part mostly to herself as she picked our daughter up.

"Break the news? _What_ news?" I asked, getting more and more irritated.

"Why should I tell you? You obviously don't care!" Dawn responded sharply, walking away. "I'll tell you once you learn to stop picking fights with me! Until then, you can just live without knowing what I was going to tell you! Now good-bye!"

She glared at me one last time before walking away, our daughter in her arms.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

I really should learn to keep my mouth shut…

* * *

**_Haha... Yay! I'm done! xD That was half-way quick for me, don't ya think? I was thinking of this story last night at like 11 o'clock at night and I know what I'm going to do with this fic! Finally! xD I've been trying to make up my mind for weeks. Should I do this or should I do that...? Blah blah blah..._**

**_In other news (8D) I was pleased with the reviews I got for last chapter! Yay, met my expectation! xD Thanks to everybody who reviewed! Please review again! (That way I can know if you enjoyed the chapter; I'm also curious as to how many people actually still reads this story xD;) _**

**_So please review! I want to know how many people read this! 8D (Harsh criticism is always welcome too ^^ )_**


	8. Gone Forever But Always Here

**Disclaimer: **Sorry, but my name is NOT Satoshi! xD It's also not like Satoshi is in disguise as somebody totally different here on Fanfiction anyways... Or is he? *shifty eyes* Either way, I do not own pokemon! xP I also do not own the song "Gone Forever" by Three Days Grace.

By the way I only added the first few lyrics of the song in here, so some of the lyrics are mixed up. I didn't feel like doing the whole song, so yeah… x] Also it REALLY adds mood to the story if you listen to the song while this chapter.

**Dedicated To:** This chapter is dedicated to Storm (or Biscuits as I sometime call her) aka **_SesshoumaruLuvr_!** I hope you're having fun so far in Washington! ;D

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Gone Forever (But Always Here)**

**"Gone Forever": Paul's POV**

_Don't know what's going on  
Don't know what went wrong  
Feels like a hundred years  
I still can't believe you're gone_

Where did everything go wrong? Where did everything mess up? Where did our feelings for each other change? When did we start acting like strangers who lived in the same household?

One night I found myself wondering these things. As I thought I realized something: I didn't know the answer.

How did this happen? At the beginning of our marriage we were so... happy. It was obvious were in love, every second we would spend together, and soon enough Carly had joined our family, and still we were happy.

We were _happy_.

Everything was _perfect._

But then, something happened. But what did happen?

_**Ding Dong!**_

_"Paul-ie, can you get the door? I'm sort of busy!" Dawn called to me._

_Walking away from my eleven months old daughter, I opened the front door. At first I didn't recognize the person at the door, but I knew I knew this girl from somewhere... but where?_

_"Paul!" The girl with the rust color hair and robin blue eyes exclaimed, surprising me with a hug._

_Then I remembered._

_"Lucy!" _

_I didn't recognize her because she had let her hair grow out. She definitely looked different that was for sure; her body was curvier, her hair longer with more waves and gleam, and she was slightly more tanned._

_This was the girl I use to meet at the sandbox in Veilstone City to play with when I was five to eight. My childhood friend._

_"Wow! You look so different!" Lucy exclaimed with a small blush, smiling shyly up at me._

_"So do you." I replied, still slightly shocked after seeing her for so long. _

_For some reason I glanced to the right._

_Now I remember._

_It changed **right then**._

_Standing near the kitchen counter, a confused frown on her face was Dawn, clearly upset. It was written on her face. She was wearing the yellow apron she wore whenever she did the dishes and was wearing a low-cut rose pink long sleeve crop top that was wet from doing the dishes and a jean skirt that only reached to her thighs. She was barefooted._

_"Who's she?" Dawn questioned, her hands shaking slightly as she dried them._

_Noticing Dawn for the first time, Lucy glanced at Dawn, the same frown on her face. "Who's she Paul?" __Lucy asked, standing somewhat possessively in front of me._

_I should have known it could have only gone downhill from there._

_"Dawn, this is Lucy, a childhood friend of mine. Lucy, this is Dawn. She's my wife."_

_My **wife.**_

Recalling that memory, I knew that was where everything went wrong. That was when everything went downhill.

_So I'll stay up all night  
With these bloodshot eyes  
While these walls surround me  
With the story of our life_

I remember nights when Dawn asked me what I planned on doing the next day, and automatically, as if by instinct, I said: "Hang out with Lucy."

The hurt in her eyes, the disappointment in her voice. How could I miss it?

Easy. I was stupid. I was a fool.

Of course though, everything didn't go downhill on the day Lucy came back. Nope. Slowly, gradually, our relationship came to a crash, came to a terrible crash when we didn't do anything but snap at each other's head and scream. It soon came to the point where Dawn no longer slept in the same bed with me, and she would scream string of curses at me, telling me to "Rot in hell!".

On the same day I saw Lucy for the first time in forever, since before we were pokemon trainers, Dawn and I had a nice, long chat. A chat. Not a screaming fight where we clawing each other's eyes out, but just a chat. A normal chat about Lucy. Dawn wanted to know about me and her, what she likes and everything.

Now that I think back on it I think she may have been comparing Lucy to herself. Recalling a few of her statements, she may have even also been comparing my relationship with Lucy with my relationship with her.

She felt threatened by another close female in my life.

That was obvious.

And yet I missed that sign.

_I feel so much better  
Now that you're gone forever  
I tell myself that I don't  
Miss you at all_

Maybe I should be glad she's gone. I should be glad that we aren't together anymore, that we aren't going to get back together _ever_. I am happy that she's gone forever. _Or so that's what I tell myself._

Nope. I don't miss her anymore.

_I have Lucy now._

I didn't need Dawn. I never needed her. I just thought I did. Now she's gone forever and she will _always_ be gone forever.

Always.

Nothing will change that.

_"One day you will miss you. I don't care what you say one day you will miss me."_ I still remember her voice, serious with an icy edge to it that sent a shiver down my spine.

I sighed, remembering the other day.

Somehow we just keep running into each other.

The other night dense-headed Ash invited me to his party (he moved to Sinnoh like a year ago) and of course he just had to invite _Dawn._ I can't remember how it happened. I don't know how our argument started.

Lucy wasn't around, but I wouldn't be surprised if the quarrel was over her. Lucy did come to the party with me, but like I said she wasn't around. She was busy doing something I forgot about.

_I'm not lying, denying  
That I feel so much better now  
That's you're gone forever_

Our argument was pretty loud, but everybody was too busy partying to notice us quarreling about who-knows-what.

_"Who'd miss a loud-mouth bitch like you?" _I had replied smugly. I remember having a few beers, so I may have been halfway drunk.

_"Asshole." she hissed, crushing the diet Pepsi she had in one hand. "You are such a bastard. What was I thinking when I ever took **you** back!" She scoffed, tossing back her hair. "You were **such** a **mistake**!"_

Taking me back was a mistake.

Marrying me was a mistake.

_"Heck, everything about you is a mistake! You're a cruel, heartless bastard with no regard for anybody else's feelings! Just **looking** at you is making me sick!"_

Everything about me was a mistake.

_Now, things are coming clear  
That I don't need you here  
__And in this world around me  
I'm glad you disappeared_

We managed to keep our relationship strong for two months with Lucy around, but then _something else_ happened that weakened it.

That something else was Lucy.

_Again._

Or maybe... it was me... Or maybe it was all of our fault; maybe it was mine, Dawn and Lucy's fault. Lucy suggested it, Dawn and I agreed, I went through with it and Dawn was angry that I went through with it.

She hated it.

May, Drew, Ash, Misty, Lucy, Dawn and I decided to play a game of truth or dare like Lucy suggested (I only agreed to play because _Dawn_ wanted me to) and it was Drew's turn to dare me (asshole spinach head). And of course Drew just _had_ to "jokingly" dare me to kiss Lucy! For one minute too.

I knew I didn't have to go through with it, but... I did. I don't know why I did. I just did.

Dawn was mad at me, that much I knew; she never screamed at me about it, but I could just tell by her actions that she mad. She would hardly speak to me for a week, and she would ignore me in bed, sleeping on the far side of the bed away from me.

She started to speak regularly to me again after a week, but that one weak of silence had affected our marriage in a without knowing.

Of course we still had our moments that we cherished afterwards, but when Dawn would hardly speak to me I decided just to spend my entire days training, that is until Lucy would show up at our house. Then I would start spending all day with her, and even less time at home, and even less time with Dawn.

Soon enough in our house there was nothing but silence and a cold, unnerving atmosphere left by the two who would hardly speak to each other anymore due to the way our marriage became. Even Carly couldn't stitch us back together.

Soon enough we had our first _spoken _fight.

For some reason Dawn asked if she could join me and Lucy to _Gardenia Rosetia_, and after spending the day with her and Lucy (and Dawn would hardly even say anything), for the first time I asked her how she felt about Lucy.

Soon enough our conversation turned to a fight and there was screaming, cussing and she threw a lamp. The huge explosion of sound was like a type of realization that had hit us right in the face. At that moment, we realized what we were becoming like.

We were becoming like strangers. Strangers that hated each other.

She broke into tears and I couldn't help but feel guilty. I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault our relationship this way, I couldn't help but want to _hug_ her, _comfort_ her, _help_ her.

And fix everything up. To change the way we act around each other.

Soon enough we found ourselves in our bed and um... well, the next day came and we spent the day together, but despite everything that happened that night, despite me spending the day with her, we still ended up hating each other.

Actually, in fact, our attitudes towards each other, the way we act around each other _**worsened.**_

_So, I'll stay out all night  
__Get drunk and fuck and fight  
__Until the morning comes  
__I'll forget about our life_

Back when we were first married everything was so simple. So easy. _Too_ easy.

Like I mentioned before, our life gradually went downhill when I saw Lucy again. It wasn't all fights and screaming matches and unspoken tension between the two of us from the first day Lucy came back..

About two weeks passed, and despite spending most of the day with Lucy, our relationship was still as strong as ever, despite the jealousy Dawn must have obviously felt. The days I spent longest with Lucy Dawn would lure me to bed… the next day I would be too tired to hang out with Lucy, so I would cancel our plans.

Oh yes, Dawn knew the perfect ways to keep me away from Lucy. For example, Valentine's Day:

"But Paul… I thought we could do something together…" she had whined, puppy pouting as she would gently (and _seductively_) trail her hand up down my arm while the other hand was on my chest.

Of course I canceled. Who _wouldn't?_

…Oh wait you don't care.

_First time you screamed at me  
I should have made you leave  
I should have known  
It could be so much better_

Maybe that one night we should have just ended everything. I should have just left her the first night we had our fight, the first she said she hated me, the night she screamed and screamed and screamed at me that she hated me.

I should have left her then.

But I didn't.

And somehow, for some unknown reason, I'm glad I didn't.

Why should I have left her that night?

It was just a fight. We made up. Everything was okay by the end of the night.

It was just the other nights....

_I hope you're missing me  
I hope I made you see  
That I'm gone forever_

_("I hope you're missing me")_

"Hn." I looked up into the pale blue sky that was beginning to tinge with gold and pink, allowing myself to tear my thoughts away from what use to be mine and Dawn's relationship.

I didn't need her now.

I will not be the one missing her, I will not be the one missing what we use to have. It will be _her _who will be missing _me_, she will the one regretting for ending our marriage. Not me.

I hope she does miss me; that way her life can be miserable. That way she can regret leaving.

_("I hope I made you see")_

I stared as the sun got ready to set, the sun blinding me with it's bright golden light. I thought back to my last time I saw Dawn, back at the party Ash was having, recalling how we pretty much started a screaming fight with each other.

Thinking back on it, I smirked.

I made everything pretty obvious: I wasn't coming back. I was _never_ coming back to her. Never, never, _**never**_. I don't care what happens, I'm never going back to her.

She can miss me all she wants, because I don't care. That won't change anything.

I'm with Lucy now, my relationship with Dawn is _over_. Our relationship was over two months ago, and now I'm with Lucy. I will stay with Lucy.

Nothing will change.

_("That I'm gone forever")_

She is gone now; she is no longer in my life.

And I'm glad she won't be coming back.

Because I'm gone forever.

* * *

_A brush of her hands._

_A quick peck on the lips._

_The littlest skin contact._

_It was all enough to send a shiver down my spin._

_One kiss._

_One touch._

_Three words: I love you._

_Sneaking away from Ash and Brock at night, lying to her friends, only to spend time with me, even if half the time the only thing we would do snuggle up to a tree, her in my arms, staring up at the stars with a blanket over us, making small talk._

_A peaceful, loving atmosphere._

_Those were the nights that were most perfect, just because she was so close to me._

_Just because she would say she loves me._

* * *

It's been three months since I last saw Dawn, and four months since I last "socialized" with her. Four months have passed since Father's Day and three months since I pissed off my ex-wife, Dawn. But then again, I always piss her off.

But yeah, it has been quite a while since I last saw Dawn. The last time I saw her was at a party Ash was throwing, and of course, being Ash's "friend" (I only let him believe that so he won't pull that "treat your pokemon with respect!" crap on me) and Dawn being his ex-traveling partner and friend also, it was only natural to see her there. I already told you quite a while ago what I did this time to piss her off, so I won't bother saying it again.

Sigh.

And I should have known something was up when Ash sent me a card inviting me over to stay for Misty's baby shower.

Seriously, I saw the girl just a month ago and she NOT look pregnant! And don't girls usually throw baby showers about a month before they are due or so?

I do not know how I could have been so dense....

* * *

**_Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter! =] Again, review please. Like I mentioned in the last chapter, I like knowing how many still read this story. Even if you don't have a fanfiction account, just leave an anonymous reply. (P.S. Review and I'll give you a cookie! ;D *very tempting*) _**

**_Also this chapter was sort of a "filler" chapter, just because I wanted to sort of explain (or get an idea) on how Dawn and Paul's relationship went from good (chapter one (2)) to... not as good (chapter two (3)) to no longer together (chapter three (4)). Also sorry if the chapter was confusing... I sort of skipped around on some parts... lol. xD;_**


	9. Not Sorry For Not Being Her

**Disclaimer:**"!nomekoP nwO toN oD I" Which is how you say, "I Do Not Own Pokemon!" backwards! ;D There's the disclaimer for ya! =] Oh, and I also do not own "Who's That Girl?" by Hilary Duff which is mentioned somewhere in this chapter.

_Haha, wow I got so much reviews last chapter! =] Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter! You guys rock! ;D *gives everybody cookie* Also, it adds more feeling, more of a mood I guess you can say if you listen to "Who's That Girl?" by Hilary Duff during the part that says "Who's That Girl?": Dawn's Perspective, until the next linebreak._

_Arceus, coming up with this chapter's name was killer! D8 (And I'm still not entirely happy with the chapter's name)_

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Not Sorry For Not Being Her**

"I remember when we were like that," Dawn murmured to herself, feeling a teardrop slip from her eyes and roll gently down her cheek, seeing Paul and Lucy a few blocks away, embracing lovingly. "When we were so much in love. During our 'dirty little secret' phase, when we were getting married and when I was pregnant... with Carly."

The blunette whispered those words to herself, her chin trembling along with the hands that were on her swollen belly as she forced herself to look away and forget. Forget all the memories she cherished and loved, all the memories she knew she could never forget no matter what....

You have moved on, why can't I? Dawn asked herself, wiping away the tear that had fallen unwantedly down her face, shaking her head as she got ready to go as she saw the bus coming down the street.

The bus came to a skidding stop in front of the pregnant woman, the door opening for her as she stood up, hugging the silk rose pink sweater she wore closer to stop herself from shivering, despite the warm weather that warmed the ground and everything. The door closed behind the blunette as she took a seat in the front row.

"Wait!" The door reopened and a girl with hair the color of rust and eyes the blue color of robin eggs entered the bus, followed closely by a man with plum color hair.

As the couple passed Dawn looked out the window, forcing herself to stare at the beauty of nature and its trees with beautiful green leaves, and it's clear, cloudless sky. The couple took a seat on the other side of the bus, one seat down.

Suddenly, there was vibrating in Dawn's skirt's pocket, and in another second Dawn's flipped open her phone, greeting with a dull, "Yo."

_"Heya Dawn!"_ Ash's cheerful voice greeted on the other end. _"Misty and I have a surprise for you! Be here tomorrow at 11 o'clock, 'kay?"_

"Straight to the point aren't ya, Ash?" Dawn replied monotonously, stifling a yawn as she replied, "Surprise, huh? I can just guess what that is Ash. You also said you had a surprise for me when you, uh..." Dawn trailed off, glancing back at Lucy and Paul before continuing quietly, "When you threw that baby shower when I was pregnant with Carly."

_"You never know! It could be a different surprise this time! Either way, if you need any more diapers Mist and I got you covered! Oh wait - I uh, I meant, um... darn it!"_

Dawn chuckled. "Relax Ash. It's not like it's a big deal, it's not my first being... _pregnant._" She whispered the last part, still conscious with Paul and Lucy being around.

What? She doesn't want Paul to find out she's eight month pregnant from a phone conversation. (And Arceus, was the fact she was _eight month pregnant_ killing her! Takes her forever just to stand up! Not to mention what it does to the bladder...).

_"Yeah, but there's a surprise within the surprise!"_ Ash chirped in a very 'didn't-see-that-one-coming-did-ya?' voice.

"What kind of surprise?" Dawn questioned curiously, glancing at Paul and Lucy again through the corner of her eyes. Lucy was chatting animatedly to Paul, who like always, wore an unreadable expression.

_"You'll find out soon enough! By the way, Misty and I are betting on all sort of things! Like, how long it is before May is pregnant! I'm betting she'll have her first child in the next two years, and Misty says May will be pregnant by the time next year is around! How about you? What you say?"_

"Tch. Not really the most mature kind of bet, but like I care. I wouldn't be surprised _at all_ if May was already pregnant! Like, seriously, when I was staying at their house for a month, after um... well, you know... anyways, they were always making out, nonstop. Actually, I'll bet she'll have a Drew or May Jr. within the next nine months!" Dawn declared confidently into the phone, grinning as she switched her phone to the other ear.

_"That means May will already have to be pregnant, doesn't it?"_

"Pretty much." She said smugly.

_"So, always making out, huh? I remember when you and Paul use to come over to visit me and Misty, I would always find you two kissing on the couch!"_ Ash laughed, causing a huge blush to form on Dawn's face. _"I remember I heard you two talking about wanting a child one time, I think it was a week after Misty had Shelly now that I think about it..."_

Dawn frowned, hissing into the phone, "You-you little creep! Th-those were pri-private... mo...mo..." Her voice trailed off as her frown deepened, an old memory coming to mind. "Pr-private m-moments..."

_-x-Flashback-x-_

_"Ash and Misty are so lucky!" Dawn exclaimed enviously, flopping down on her and Paul's round mud brown velvet love seat, snuggling into Paul's chest as she whispered, "I wish we had a baby like them...."_

_A frown traced the plum-hair man's face as he asked, "Isn't it a bit early to be thinking of kids? I mean, we're only twenty and twenty-one."_

_Dawn sighed, sitting upright on the couch, hugging her knees as she laid her chin on them. "I know... it's just that... well, I dunno... I mean, some women want kids, but they wait too late and they're unable to get pregnant... it's like, no matter what, they just can't get pregnant."_

_She turned her blue eyes back on Paul, meeting his coal black eyes. "What if... what if we wait too late to have a kid, and we never got to have one? I just can't stand the thought of missing out on parenthood...." She sighed, hugging her knees closer to her chest, resting her chin back on her knees. "You want kids too, right?"_

_Paul hesitated before answering, "Of course I do."_

_Dawn smiled, a low chuckle escaping her lips. "You would make a great father... if we ever did have kids... Man, I really hope we do someday." She sighed exhaustedly, resting her head on Paul's shoulder._

_Paul stared at his wife for a good fifteen seconds before determination flashed across his eyes. He pulled the blunette closer to him, wrapping his arms around her in a protective manner. _

_He brushed a strand of hair behind her ears, and whispered in a tender voice, "I promise you Dawn, one day we will have kids. We will have beautiful kids, we will start a family. Together. And we'll be happy." He hugged her closer to his chest, stroking her hair lovingly._

_The girl blinked, not use to Paul acting this tenderly towards her, as if the words he promised her were his life, as if if he didn't fulfill that promise, he would die. Slowly, a smile crept on her face as she wrapped her arms around the man's torso, whispering a "Thank you."_

_In response, the man swept her bangs from her forehead, giving her an affectionate kiss on the forehead. "I promise...." He whispered again._

_-x-End Flashback-x-_

"Do you say that to everybody?" Dawn asked out loud, clenching her heart as she recalled the memory, her eyes stinging at the cherished memory.

_"Huh? What are talking about Dawn?"_

"Oh!" Dawn flushed red, realizing she had just spoken her thoughts out loud. "I-I'm sorry Ash! I was thinking out loud! I was recalling a conversation I had with May right before she got married! Ahaha! Um... yeah."

_"Um... okay? Oh - wait! Can you hold for a minute?"_

"Sure!"

There was a moment of silence followed by Ash's muffled voice followed by a more feminine voice. This lasted a while longer as Ash and Misty (Dawn assumed he was talking to Misty) continued their little talk before there was a sound Dawn couldn't quite identify and Ash's voice as he continued to speak with Dawn.

_"Misty just came home. She was wondering... when are you due?"_

"Oh. Well, err... it's around the..." Dawn snuck another peek at Paul was looking out the window opposite of his seat, a bored expression on his face, meanwhile Lucy was applying a thin layer of gloss to her lips. "Um, I'm suppose to have it in about three weeks."

_"Wow! You're that far along?"_

Dawn nodded before quickly realizing Ash couldn't see the nod. "Mm, yeah."

There was another silence except for the muffled voice of Ash and Misty.

_"Is it a boy or a girl?"_

"Oh. Well... I haven't checked." The bus stopped, letting out a few passengers as it opened its huge door.

_"Huh?! Why not?!"_

"I-I want it to be a surprise!" Dawn exclaimed defensively, sweat dropping as she stared back out the window, watching the blurred figures zoom right by. She placed a hand on her belly, hiding it from view as best as she could if Paul or Lucy decided to look her way.

_"Well... do you have any idea what you'll name it? Like, what are you going to name it if it's another girl? Or a boy? Do you have any clue?"_

"Too many question marks in one sentence Ash," Dawn chuckled, glancing at Paul again through the corner of her eyes, the corner of her lips upturning in a small smile. "I have sort of a clue of what I'm going to... call it... _if it's a boy_." She whispered into the phone, still watching Paul who looked as bored as he did a minute ago.

"I like the name Hiroki," Dawn said quietly, biting her lip as she turned her attention back to the window. "It means 'strength' and 'abundant joy'."

_"Mhm... Well, I got to go now Dawn. I promised Misty I would go baby sit Shelly for her while she watches her daily soap operas... Women these days!"_ Though Dawn couldn't see Ash, she assumed Ash was rolling his eyes. She let out a small chuckle at the thought_. "Well, it was nice chattin' with ya! Just remember: Be here - tomorrow - at ELEVEN o'clock! Okay?"_

"I'll be there, no need to emphasize every word!" Dawn replied, rolling her own eyes. "Bye." There was a 'click' as she snapped her phone closed.

The bus came to another rolling stop and this time Paul and Lucy were the only ones to leave the bus.

"I guess you forgot your promise about us being happy...." Dawn mused thoughtfully, heaving a long sigh as she frowned out the window, watching Paul's and Lucy's retreating figures.

* * *

**"Who's that Girl?": Dawn's Perspective  
[Present&Past Memories]**

Her throat tightened, her eyes stung, shivers ran up and down her arms, and her arms' and legs' hair stood up. She nibbled softly on her lower lip, repeating, "He means nothing to you, he means nothing to you" over and over again, continuously chanting the words as she fought off the migraine that was beginning to build.

"Why does he still make me feel this way?" she asked quietly, placing both hands on her swollen belly. "Why? I should be over him by now!" She whispered angrily. Oh, yes, this hormonal twenty-one year old was angry: angry at Paul for having the affect he does on her, angry at Lucy for stealing (as she liked to call it) Paul away from her, and angry at herself for being weak enough to cry over _him_ being with _her_.

Who is that girl? Who is that girl who stole you away from me?

_There were places we would go at midnight  
There were secrets that nobody else would know_

**-FB-**

The sun shone down on a lake in a splash of yellow, gold and orange with a tinge of red as it got ready to set. The lake sparkled under the giant sun's warmth. Slowly, the bright colors in the lake disappeared as night and stars and the full moon replaced the sky.

"Aah, these rocks are slippery," A blunette giggled, climbing atop of a giant jagged rock that the lake's small waves crashed into, salt water kissing the girl's skin.

She was followed by a boy with hair the color of plums and eyes the color of night itself. He grunted as he managed to pull himself next to the girl. "I can't believe you actually wanted to climb these things." He said almost scornfully, frowning at the girl who just continued smiling brightly, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight as she stared into the lake.

"It's not like it's the first time I dragged you up here, Paul," she laughed, laying her hand on top of his. He looked away, a slight blush on his face as he grunted in reply.

The girl sighed heavily, locking her arms with his right one, laying her head on his shoulder. "Stop being so indifferent, Paul or I'll bite you." The last part of the statement earned a raised eyebrow from Paul.

Dawn laughed, lifting her head from his shoulder to punch it playfully. "I'm kidding!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "Gee, why would I want to bite _you?_ I'm not a vampire, you know."

"Vampires? I never said you were one," The seventeen year old stated. "I was just curious as to why you would say you would _bite _me. Why _bite_ me of all things?"

"You overanalyze things!" The girl teased, locking her arms with her boyfriend once again. "Hey, you know... the lake, the moonlight... it's all quite romantic don't you think?" She asked huskily in a whisper, a smirk taking place on her face as she ran her finger seductively down his chest. "...And we're all alone."

"What... are you trying to do?" Paul asked, and though you couldn't tell by his voice or from his face, he suddenly felt very nervous.

"We're... all alone..." she continued huskily, unzipping his jacket. "Which means..." Paul gulped as she brought her lips to his, intertwining their fingers together.

_SPLASH!!_

Suddenly Paul was soaked to the bone, his clothes clinging to his skin. "What the - ?!" He reemerged to the lake's surface, staring at the rigid rock he was just on, wondering how the hell he got down here....

_There's a reason but I don't know why  
I don't know why, I don't know why  
I thought they all belonged to me_

"Gotcha!" A feminine voice yelled out followed by chime-like laughter. He blinked the salt water from his eyes, clearing his vision enough to spot a girl with long blue and dark blue eyes with gold clips in her hair, wearing nothing but a light pink bikini, holding her stomach in the moonlight.

"Hehee, sorry but not tonight Paul!" Dawn winked, continuing with her annoying [and super adorable] laughter.

Paul smirked as the girl dived into the water with another huge _SPLASH!,_ droplets of the water hitting him. When she resurfaced she was still grinning, only a foot away from him.

"I love you, Paul," The girl whispered, followed by a cute giggle, grinning innocently as she intertwined their fingers together once more, pulling him into another, more meaningful, kiss.

**-End FB-**

_Who's that girl?_

Hair the color of rust and eyes as dark as robin eggs, her skin as pale as pastel. Her hair fell into delicate curls, her hair arranged messily on top of her head, held by a black clip except for the hair in front which fell pass her shoulders. She wore a tight dark pink crop top that showed off her flat stomach (at this Dawn was extremely envious with at the moment) with the word "Superstar" written in black fancy font and faded denim jeans with a pink leopard-print belt. She wore pink sandals with white flower designs on them.

Her hands were intertwined with his, eagerly pulling him everywhere she went, talking vivaciously to the indifferent man who just nodded once in a while, but said nothing.

_Where's she from?_

Dawn glanced down at her own outfit as she imagined what she must have looked like in other people's point of view: a fat, blue-haired, blue-eyed woman. Of course, most people who had a brain would assume that she was pregnant (which she was), so she didn't look nearly as bad with that fact in mind. So in other's point of view she just looked like a _pregnant_, blue-haired, blue-eyed woman.

But she no longer wore her wedding ring anymore. People who would see her, the pregnant woman with no wedding ring on, what would they think?

Oh dear, a one night stand must have happened.

A pregnant girlfriend; she's not married. Hm...?

Her husband must have left her after finding out she was pregnant. Poor thing....

She pictured what she would look like in someone else's mind; what they saw when they walked pass her, when they glanced her way.

She imagined a girl with long blue hair that keeps her hair in three gold clips and matching blue eyes. (Did her eyes portray happiness, sadness or anger? She did not know). A girl who wore a pale pink t-shirt with a white shrug that was a gift from her grandma (Carly's great-grandma!) and tight jeans that were a dark, dark blue (which she now regretted wearing for the baby shower) in pink kitten heels of her own.

How did she look compared to Lucy?

Dawn sighed heavily, crossing her arms in front of her chest, the ache in her chest fading gradually as time went slowly by. Her heels _click_-ed as she tapped impatiently.

Where is he?! Dawn asked with irritation in her mind, a grimace on her usually smiling face.

_No, she can't be the one  
That you want_

Dawn bit her lower lip again, the taste of blood in her mouth as she accidentally bit too hard on the lip's sensitive skin. "Ow!" She hissed, bringing a hand to her lip.

She sighed again frustrated, glancing at Paul and Lucy again. Dawn growled under her breath as the same hurt she felt before came back, giving her a hard kick in the gut.

His hands intertwined with her hair, their lips touching tenderly, a grin forming on the redhead's face, her blue eyes twinkling in happiness. The hand that wasn't in her hair was caressing her left cheek. He leaned down slightly, whispering something into her ears. The grin on her face widened, her blue eyes sparkling in happiness.

The knot in my stomach tightened, tightened into unbelievable despair as she watched the two. She blinked, rubbing her temples as she blinked away the tears that threatened to form, threatened to fall, threatened to overflow. The tears that would have her shaking on her knees, bawling her eyes out if she even gave them a chance to fall.

Sh-she can't be... Is she? No... sh-she just can't be, she c-can't be the one you want.... Dawn thought to herself unbelievingly, her eyes continuing to sting from despair.

_That has stolen my world_

She glanced at the ground before stealing another glance at the kissing couple.

Lucy swung their intertwined hands back and forth, speaking excitedly to Paul. She giggled at something he said, standing on her tip-toes to give him another kiss on the lips before whispering something in his ears.

She's just trying to make me jealous! Dawn thought angrily, digging her fingernails into her arms. Her arms began to ache from crossing them too hard. That's why they are _publicly_ making out right in front of me! You can't convince me they haven't seen me! I've been _standing_ here for TEN minutes!

With the ten minutes fact in mind, my anger quickly converted to being angry at Kenny.

Where the hell is he?! He said he would pick me up! Dawn thought angrily, checking her wrist for the time before remembering and speaking her thought out loud, "Oh wait, I don't have a watch."

"Stupid Kenny," Dawn cursed, grumbling angrily to herself. "He said he would drive both me and Zoey to the shower!"

She let out a breath of air in a huff, sighing for the millionth time in the ten minutes time she've been standing there, waiting for that... Her mind trailed off as she cursed Kenny with every curse word she knew, a few of them even being in a few different languages.

She pursed her lips together, about to turn around and go when she saw them again. They were still in the same spot, Lucy giggling and laughing at who-knows-what, starting to chat animatedly once more while Paul just nodded, his face indifferent again.

Dawn's stomach lurched, reminded of the times when she would be doing all the chatting while Paul would just nod, grunt or just stare indifferently at everything, most likely not even hearing the words she would say.

It's like she had taken my place....

Damn hormones! Dawn thought to herself, her anger at Paul and Lucy resurfacing. _And damn you jealousy...!_

_It's not real, it's not right  
It's my day, it's my night_

**Dawn's POV**

There was a vibrating in my pant's left front pocket, and automatically I knew who it was.

"There better be a reason why you're late!" I snapped into the phone, skipping the greeting.

Damn it, I am NOT going to greet somebody who has the nerve to make a pregnant woman stand outside for _ten minutes_ when Kenny was suppose to be here _TEN MINUTES AGO!_

By the way, in case you are wondering, I am being extra careful to not have my front (where obviously the second child inside of me is) face Paul's and Lucy's way. (Damn it again, since he was stupid enough to piss me off and accuse me of wanting him back, he's not going to know I carry his second child until I feel the courtesy to forgive the heartless mule's ass! Which will be... NEVER! For now...).

Being pregnant makes me an angry person, sad to say. Quick tempered and I do not forgive easily much more, even the slightest things tend to tick me off nowadays. (Of course I just have to blame Paul for that).

_"I'm so sorry Dawn!" _Good, he was smart enough not to use the childish nickname "DeeDee" on me this time._ "Zoey and I forgot we were going to pick you up! We ended up driving all the way to Ash's house before we remembered we were going to pick you up!"_

"Yeah, yeah, good to know!" I spat sarcastically. "Just hurry up and get here! I do not appreciate having to wait! _Especially when,_" I began hissing into the phone, gripping the phone in my hand a little too tightly. _"I have bozos making out twenty feet in front of me! **And especially when it's my EX making out with his new girlfriend!**_**"**

_"I-I'm sorry Dawn! I'll be there in less than ten minutes! I swear!"_ It was good being pregnant. It made you the one in control of everybody because everyone else just bow their head and go on their knees, awaiting your every command.

"Good, thank you! And _hurry up_!" I snapped before snapping the phone shut, sticking it back into my pocket. I resumed my foot-tapping to emphasize my impatience.

_By the way?  
Who's that girl living my life?  
Oh no, living my life_

I snuck another glance over my shoulder, my throat tightening once more. Damn it, damn it all! You're suppose to be angry! ANGRY! Remember?? You're not suppose to be feeling angered and have the aura of the devil, not bitterness and regret! If anybody should be bitter and full of regret it should be PAUL! _P-A-U-L!_

How did she end up in my place? Why is she the one with his arms around her waist, why is Lucy the one who's grinning shyly up at Paul? When did she...

Start living _my_ life?

_I'm the one  
Who made you laugh_

I was the one who made you laugh....

Don't you remember? Don't you remember the time I pushed you into Lake Valor then ended up falling in with you? You laughed so hard.... It was the first time I heard you laugh.

_Who made you feel_

Don't you remember when we would kiss? When we would embrace? You said I smelled good, you said I smelled just like strawberries. Sometimes you would say I smelled like strawberries and salt water, especially after being in Lake Valor again.

Don't you remember when I kissed you? The tenderness, the love, the... the magic? I don't know... I just thought our kisses were special. I guess not though.

_Who made you sad_

You may be good at hiding your feelings Paul, but somehow I still manage to read you like an open book. My tears, they made you soft. Your eyes would soften, as if they were a chocolate bar under the sun, your voice would have a different kind of tenderness to it, and you would hug me. Your hugs said enough...

Heh. Since when does Paul Shinji hug someone?

_I'm not sorry  
For what we did  
And who we were_

"I don't regret those moments," I said out loud to myself, thoughtful and quietly, starting to hum quietly. My tapping had came to a cease as I thought over my words, double checking to make sure I wasn't lying.

It may have not lasted, all those kisses and touches and all those perfect moments, but I don't regret them. Even during the days we did nothing but fight, shout and scream our ears off (specifically me), the days I spent with Paul were the best days of my life just because I knew it wasn't over just yet.

Not yet.

And I don't have any regrets; I'm not sorry for the decisions I made in my life. I've only made two mistakes and both were leaving him: The first time I left him, however, I don't regret.

The second time I left him, well, yeah. But I'll get over it, I'm going to have to.

_I'm not sorry, I'm not her_

A red convertible pulled up in front of me. "Hop in DeeDee!" Kenny grinned, back to his old nicknames.

I rolled my eyes, a grin on my face. "By time!" I chirped. "The heat out here was _killing_ me!"

I took one last glance at Paul who listened uncaringly as Lucy talked to him. She talks even more than me!, I noted to myself. I blinked, letting a small smile grace my lips.

I'm not sorry for our decisions, I don't regret screaming at you, I don't regret fighting with you; I don't regret the decision of divorcing you. I'm not sorry that I'm not the one in your arms at the moment, I don't care if she happens to be your girlfriend at the moment!

...Because I'm not dead, you aren't dead, and there's still time.

And only time will tell our future.

* * *

"You and Ash didn't have to throw another baby shower for me, Misty." Dawn told the carrot top. "I mean, it's not like it's my first child or anything. I pretty much have everything I need for this baby."

"Yeah, well, you know Ash," Misty drawled lazily, hooking a piece of her orange hair behind her ears. "Always eager for everything, always searching for the smallest of things to celebrate."

"Besides, you may already be a parent Dawn, but don't forget you're a _single_ parent now. You aren't making as much money as you were when you were with Paul, which makes you poorer Dawn. Besides, the more the merrier, eh?" Misty joked, poking her belly teasingly, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Dawn sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yeah... you're right."

"By the way," Dawn lowered her voice, glancing both ways before continuing, "What's this 'surprise' Ash has for me?"

Misty blinked, clueless to Dawn's words. "Surprise? Isn't this the _'_surprise_'_? You should know that, Dawn..."

"No, I mean, Ash says he has a _'_surprise in the surprise_'_ for me." Dawn clarified, her eyebrows furrowing together. "Didn't Ash mention anything about that to you?"

"No... he didn't..." Misty narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why didn't he?" she pondered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "He usually tells me stuff like this. I mean, Ash just can't keep stuff to himself, so why did he...? Unless he's doing something he's not so suppose to be doing! Something he knows I'll scold him for!"

"Like what?" Dawn asked, blinking in confusion.

"Hm," Misty clicked her tongue, finger on chin as she guessed the possibilities. "Who knows," Misty shrugged. "But it can't be that bad, right?"

Dawn nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I mean, Ash is Ash but he doesn't do anything too drastically stupid or dangerous for that matter."

"Hey, baby shower party-goers!" May greeted, hands on her hips, the elbow on her other arm propped up against a wall. She wore a tight red leather button up shirt over a white undershirt and short blue shorts the color of the biker shorts she use to wear. "What's pimpin'?

"Oh, she won't be wearing clothes that tight soon enough!" Dawn whispered confidently to Misty, chuckling mutely to herself so May wouldn't hear her.

"Oh great," Zoey entered the living room, rolling her eyes at May. "Quit trying to act gangster May, and sit down." With that said, Zoey took her own seat on one of the Ketchum's velvety turquoise couches, diagnal from Misty and Dawn.

May snorted, rolling her sapphire eyes but joined Misty and Dawn, squeezing her way between the two. "Just trying to lighten the mood, get this place lively!" May defended, sticking her tongue out at Zoey. "Besides, I'm getting paid twenty dollars for doing this from Drew. We made this one bet on whether I can act like one of those street thugs. Drew thinks I'm too sweet, innocent and naive to even _act_ like one."

"You should hear the bet Ash and I made!" Misty chirped, snickering as May asked, "What?"

"You should take a pregnancy test, May!" Dawn decided to cut in before Misty could answer, a huge grin on her face.

"Huh? Wha-what? But why? I'm not pregnant!" May stammered, waving her blue gloved hands in front of her face defensively. "Really!" But then her face turned into a thoughtful one. "...Or am I?"

"Or are you _what_?" A chartreuse hair teen asked, taking a bite out his apple as he exited the kitchen. He leaned against a wall.

"Pregnant."

There was violent coughing as Drew choked on his apple. "Drew!" May shrieked, rushing over to her gasping husband. "You alright?" she asked concernedly, laying a hand carefully on her back.

"Preg-pregnant?" He rasped, looking at the brunette with wide emerald eyes. "Why did you mention _that?_"

"I suggested that she take one!" Dawn answered for May, fighting back snickers at the shocked look on Drew's face.

"You see Drew-y," Misty started sweetly, with a hint of sarcasm on the 'Drew-y' part. "The deal is Ash and I made a bet, a bet Dawn joined in on. The bet was when May would get pregnant: I said within a year, Ash said in two years and Dawn says you're already pregnant! I mean lets face it, you two were just on your honeymoon, and what do people do on their honeymoons?" Misty winked at the two, a grin on her face.

May's blush rivaled the color of the shirt she wore, meanwhile Drew was to the point of turning purple.

"W-w-we w-weren't d-doing _that_ the whole time!" May sputtered finally, waving her hands frantically in front of her face.

"Sure you won't," Misty giggled, winking one more time at May before deciding to change the subject. "Okay, now this party wasn't here to torture May about being pregnant, so lets get straight to the point!" Misty chirped. "So, who wants to be the first one to give Dawn her gift for the baby?"

"Shouldn't we wait until Ash and Kenny get here?" Drew questioned, his face back to it's natural pastel color, doing his signature hair flip.

"I rather not," Misty stated blandly. "So, who has a present for Dawn?"

"Great, that means I'm the only boy here," Drew groaned, taking another bite out of his apple.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me! I brought Dawn a gift she will _love!_" May grinned at Dawn before leaning in and asking, "Your baby's a male right? Please say yes."

"Um, I haven't checked," Dawn sweat dropped, frowning as May's jaw literally dropped.

"You mean, it might not be a boy? And I may have just wasted my money on _nothing?"_ May whined, crossing her arms with a frown. She immediately cheered up though. "Well, even if it is a girl, it's better if a girl is wearing boy clothes instead of a boy wearing girl clothes, eh?"

"May, you just gave away the present," Misty stated, rolling her eyes at the girl.

"O-Oh! Oops!"

"Hahah, that's okay May." Dawn sweat dropped, carefully unwrapping the present. "Aww, how cute!" Dawn squealed, holding up a cute light blue shirt with a teddiursa in diapers and sucking on a pacifier on it, the words "Cute Teddy" written in bold, blocky green letters.

She held up a small one-piece outfit with long sleeves and legs that was bottle green with piplups printed on it all over. She held up another outfit that was similar to the previous one but was lilac colored with pachirisus and clouds print designs instead. The fourth and last one was just like the previous to but mustard yellow; this one's print design was of chimachars and could be buttoned and unbuttoned unlike the other two.

"They are adorable! Thanks May!" Dawn said gratefully, hugging the brunette the best she could with her pregnant stomach pressing against May's flat one.

"Piplup, Buneary and Chimchar designs, mm May?" Zoey grinned. "All pokemon Dawn has or Paul use to have, plus the teddiursa which is the unevolved form of his ursaring."

May just shrugged. "They were the cutest ones they had! But how about the t-shirt with the teddiursa on it? Adorable isn't it?" May asked smugly, crossing her legs.

Zoey chuckled, sweat dropping. "Mine and Kenny's presents are next!" Zoey called out, running to retrieve her presents for the blunette.

"Four?" Dawn asked, chuckling to herself.

"Just open them," Zoey ordered, shrugging lightly.

"Hm," After a few seconds of deciding which one to open first, Dawn decided to open the smallest one first. Greedily, she tore the paper off. It took Dawn a few seconds to realize what was in front of her. "Oh! A brand new pacifier!" Dawn chirped, now seeing the blue ring-like object in the plastic box. "Thanks Zoey!"

The next present she opened was one in a white gift bag covered in colorful polkadots. "I wonder what's in this one...," Dawn wondered out loud, reaching in and tossing out the neon green, pink and blue tissue paper. "Hmm..."

**Paul's POV**

"I don't even get why I have to come to this baby shower," I stated to Ash, my arms crossed against my chest, laying back carelessly in the carseat. "I don't even know Misty that well. By the way, I could have driven myself here."

Ash shrugged carelessly, parking the red Jimmy in his driveway. "Oh well. So what do you think the baby will be? A boy or a girl? Misty and I are betting on it being a boy, May is also betting it's a boy, Zoey hadn't told us what her guess is..."

Kenny, a childhood friend of Dawn's, snorted from the car's backseat. "It's a boy; everybody is guessing it's a boy. Zoey said she's not sure what it's gonna be, but she gets the feeling it _won't_ be a girl."

"So, what do you think it will be?" Ash asked again.

I grimaced before replying coldly, "It's not my child Ash, so frankly, I don't care what the gender is."

Ash glared at me, but it didn't faze me one bit. "We'll see about that! You just wait..." He muttered, turning off the engine.

"Drew says he couldn't care less about the bet, but he says he's going to guess it's a boy this time just for the heck of it. He cares more about his bet with May and her acting like a gangster."

May, Zoey, Misty, Ash, Kenny...

Suddenly, a strange feeling took place in my chest. All friends of Dawn... Does that mean she'll be here?

I suddenly felt very tempted to ask about her, like if she was here, what her bet on the baby's gender was, or anything for that matter.

"I still don't get why I even have to come to this shower, Ash," I decided to state again, frowning as I slammed the door to his car shut. "I don't know Misty, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm not the type of guy you expect to see at a baby shower."

"You're coming, because you're the surprise I promised for someone." Ash stated matter-of-factly.

"Surprise?" I was a 'surprise' for someone? What the hell? I should have predicted what was about to happen....

**Dawn's POV**

"What are you going to name the baby if it's a boy?" May questioned, scooting closer as she waited for my answer. "If I was pregnant and was gonna have a male baby I would name it something like... um, Hayden. Wait, is that a boy name?"

Drew snorted from behind May, leaning one arm against the wall for support. "Who says you get to name the baby, May-dearest?"

May shot a glare at the arrogant chartreuse hair man, but said nothing, choosing to ignore the remark. "So, what would you name your baby if it was a boy?"

I smiled, rubbing my belly contently. There was a small kick and my smile widened. "Hiroki. If it was a boy I would name it Hiroki. It's a japanese name which means both 'strength' and 'abundant joy'."

"Ooh! That's a pretty name!" May gushed, clasping her hands together.

"But why Hiroki? Just because it means 'strength' and 'abundant joy', or just because it's a pretty name?" Zoey questioned, then adding thoughtfully, "Or is there another reason?"

"Well... honestly, I chose the name because," I started, remembering with a small smile a long ago memory that was anything but forgotten. I was about to explain my reasons for choosing the name "Hiroki", a japanese name rather than an english name, when voices were heard from outside.

"Hey, I got the surprise!" Ash's cheerful voice called out as he opened the front door. Dawn couldn't see Ash or his "surprise" though since Misty and everybody decided to move the baby shower into the main bedroom, Ash's and Misty's bedroom.

"Okay! We're in the master bedroom now, Ash!" Misty yelled to her husband.

"Better not be any trash on the rug...," Ash grumbled to himself. There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "Why are they are in my room anyay?" Ash pondered to himself.

"Would you shut up and quit complaining," A cold, familiar voice asked. The footsteps were now walking down the hall, less than ten feet away from Ash's and Misty's room now.

At the familiar, cold voice and the approaching footsteps, I suddenly felt my body go cold.

"Oh wait, crap, no!" I whispered, my eyes going wide in panic as I realized _Paul_ must have been the 'surprise'.

What the fuc-I mean, fudge?! Why did Ash bring _him_ here to _my_ baby shower! He must know now!

I started fanning myself with my hand, my face going hot. "WHAT THE HELL ASH?!" I heard an angry carrot top shriek as she marched outside to confront her dense-in-the-head husband. "WHAT IS _**HE**_ DOING HERE?!"

"Crap, crap, what am I going to do?" I asked May and Zoey nervously, continuing to fan myself.

"You weren't going to be able to keep it a secret for forever," Drew said smugly, smirking in an oh-so-arrogant way that made me want to wrap my hands around his scrawny little neck and throttle it! "It was only a matter of time before he found out."

"You know what Drew?!" I shrieked, my face going red from anger as I stood up, ready to pound his cabbage head into the wall.

"D-Dawn! Calm down!" May pleaded, sweat dropping at my outraged self.

Like I said... being pregnant and all... makes me angry a lot more often. Keep cool Dawn, keep cool. Don't be hot-headed, that's Misty's job. Just take a deep breath, stay calm, and... why was I angry again?

"Obviously, you're not a fan of me," Paul stated coolly from the hallway.

Oh yeah, that's right? Hm... I glanced out the window. What's the chances that a pregnant woman like me could jump out a two-story window and make it out alive without harming the baby? The chances were very, very slim if there was any chance at all. And really, I wasn't stupid or desperate enough to risk mine and my precious little Hiroki's life. Yes, I officially decided my baby was going to be a male named Hiroki.

"Ash - explain. Now!"

"You don't even look pregnant, and you're already throwing a baby shower?" Paul questioned, sneering slightly.

"Huh? Wait - what? I'm not pregnant! Ash, where did you get that idea? You know it's Da - Oh wait, dominos! Anybody haves any dominos? I feel like playing with dominos! Haha..."

"Close call Misty," I muttered under my breath. "He's going to find out anyway."

"Great, the surprise is ruined. Now Dawn knows." A vein popped in my head, my teeth grinding together angrily. My hair stood up from the wave of anger that radiated off my body.

"Great!" I said even more loudly, scowling in annoyance. Seriously, I know I said he was going to find out, but WHAT THE _**HELL!**_ He didn't need to actually state I was here just yet! Did he actually have to say my name? Nonetheless - wait!

Back up.

...So Paul was the surprise.

Damn it. Damn it all to hell. Especially Ash, the pikachu loving goody two-shoes!

"Wait... Dawn's here?" Duh! Why would I not be here! This is _my_ baby shower! (Of course, judging by the conversation, Ash told him it was Misty's baby shower. Asshole. Or better yet, _Ash_hole! Okay, I'm really messed up now). And even so, Misty is my friend along with May and Zoey (not Drew; I still hate his guts at the moment), so still _I WOULD BE HERE!!_

"Yep!" Ash chirped. "She's in _that_ bedroom!" _**THUMP!**_ "Ow, hey, what was that for?!"

"Ash, I hate you." I said through clenched teeth.

"Like I said, he would have found out eventually," Drew continued smugly, flipping his hair.

"Screw you cabbage boy! If you don't watch it, I'll make a salad out of that precious hair of yours!" I sneered back, my fists clenched angrily at my side.

Crap! I hear his footsteps! _He's coming!_

"I should have just ignored his rotten attitude and just blurted out the truth back when it was Father's Day," I said out loud to myself, grabbing May's wrist for support. "Zoey, help me!" I whispered desperately.

"He's not suppose to find out this way!" I continued, "Oh, I was suppose to tell him on Father's Day, but I didn't! This day sucks! Karma you're an asshole, you hear me? ASSHOLE!"

I jumped as the door was roughly slammed open.

CRAP!

Karma, if this ends up being a bad dream, please, just let me wake up. I get it, I get it, you're the guy who goes around and kicks everybody in the ass for the wrong we do, I get it! You're _the_ bitch. But seriously, must he find out this way?!?!

I hate myself. I hate Ash. I hate the world. But most of all, I hate the fact that my bladder decides I have to go to the bathroom _now!_

**-x-Paul's POV-x-**

Like I mentioned at the end of the last chapter, I do not know how I could have been so dense.

As I walked down the hallway to confirm if what Ash said was true (that Dawn in fact was here; really, I have no idea why I even cared to see if he was lying or not), I heard Drew say something smugly about somebody finding something out eventually, followed by a voice that sounded very much like Dawn yelling about... well, I could only understand "screw you", "lettuce", "precious" and "hair" . Then when I was just a foot away from the door I heard her (by now I was positive it was Dawn) screaming about Karma being an asshole.

As I roughly slammed open the door, the annoying carrot top that was Ash's wife screaming at me to stop, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. I expected to at least see Dawn and Drew since I heard their voices, I also figured Zoey and May would be there since they are friends of Ash's wife, but what I saw I should have seen coming.

"Uh, surprise?" The blunette known as my ex-wife, Dawn squeaked nervously, squeezing her friend, Zoey's, hand as if holding onto it for dear life.

I said nothing, but stared blankly, my mouth agaped.

"Uh, before you get angry I was going to tell you sometime," The girl continued timidly. "Actually I was going to tell you on Father's Day, ya know, when we were hanging out with Carly, but things sort of got out of hands..." She laughed tautly, squeezing her friend's hand tighter. "So yeah..."

"Ouch!" The girl winced.

"Sorry, Zoey!" Dawn apologized, her eyes darting around nervously.

Yep, I should have seen this one coming a mile away.

**-x-**

_"Ugh! This is hard! Maybe I should get the shrimp…" Dawn muttered to herself, glaring into the menu. "But tomatoes sound so good right now!" She looked up thoughtfully. "Maybe I could dip the shrimp in ketchup…"_

**-x-**

_"Well I have to eat. After all, I'm eating for two here." Dawn said through a mouth full of hash brown and ketchup._

_"Huh? Wait - you don't mean…?" Melanie gasped, covering her mouth as she suppressed a squeal._

_Dawn grinned. "Surprise!" She glanced quickly at me through the corner of her eyes._

**-x-**

_"You are so lucky Paul!" Melanie exclaimed, giggling as she clapped me on the back. "I wish I had children of my own!" Melanie sighed, a dreamy look on her face as she slowly slumped to the floor contently._

**-x-**

_"Carly and I are going! You obviously don't care about your daughter enough to at least be nice to me when I'm letting you spend time with her! And I thought today would be a great day to break the news! Obviously I was wrong!" She said the last part mostly to herself as she picked our daughter up._

**-x-**

I didn't know what I felt... I didn't know what I should feel... I didn't know whether I should be angry at Dawn for keeping this secret from me, angry at myself for not giving her the chance to tell me on that one day, or just plain be happy that...

I was going to have a second child.

* * *

**_WHEW! This was one long piece of chapter to write! I originally didn't plan to have the chapter this long. -_-; Oh well, I ddin't want to rush it though. In other news, today it this story's anniversary! 8D *party* Kukuku, haha, no... I however have had this story out for a year now which is mainly why I even tried to finish this chapter today. Sigh, this chapter was long, I'm fearing how long the next chapter will be considering it's gonna have waaay more stuff in it. Also there's only two more chapters left, plus an epilogue, so yay! :3_**

**_Review, pplz! It's not easy sitting on my butt for about 9 hours straight just to write chapter! (Especially when I wrote like 7/9 of this chapter -this chapter is about 9000 words long- today). Plus, I still like seeing how many of you have read this chapter! XDD_**

**_Reviewers get yummy, yummy cookies! ;D_**


	10. Their Imperfections and Tears

**Disclaimer: **I do not own pokemon, nor "Already Gone" by Kelly Clarkson.

_*sigh* This chapter is gonna be one heck of a chapter to write. xD Listening to "Already Gone" helped me so much with this chapter (great inspiration, also adds atmosphere through most of the story xD). The music video for the song was really cool too. :P Okay enough with my talk, lets get on with the story...  
_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Their Imperfections and Tears**

There was a long, cold silence as Dawn nervously started chewing on her lower lip again, twirling a strand of hair around one finger as she waited for Paul's reaction.

Was he mad? Was he mad at her for not telling him about her pregnancy? Obviously the child was his. He must have knew that.

Finally, his face features transitioned from dumbfounded and shocked to slightly more tense, his features sharpening. His fists clenched at his side and his jaw stuck out slightly as he grounded his teeth together.

Dawn closed her eyes, her arms and leg hairs sticking up from the tension of the situation. Zoey gave her hand a slight squeeze in support, whispering, "No need to worry?", her catchphrase, in hopes it would help calm the young woman's nerves. It didn't work.

"He's mad," Dawn whispered, opening her eyes to stare with wide eyes at the plum hair man. Was she really this afraid of him? When did this happen? Her trembling hands squeezed Zoey's even tighter. She jumped when he finally spoke.

"You're the one who's pregnant?" He asked abruptly, his voice hard and cold, like ice.

Unable to speak from the fight and anxiety she felt, the blunette only managed to give small nod, shivering under his cold gaze. She pursed her lips together, her stomach churning and her eyes stinging as she fought back tears.

When? How?

He'll get angry, but that's all. He won't hurt you.

Dawn repeated those words in her mind, but even those words couldn't stop the shivers that ran down her arms, and the coldness that bit at her bones like frostbite.

"It's my child?"

Another shiver ran down through her body, like ripples in water when somebody disturbs the water by throwing a stone in. She nodded again, her voice lost in the winter chilliness she felt.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His fists clenched together even more tightly, and Dawn couldn't help but wince.

"I-I tried to! But you wouldn't listen!" The girl defended, hating the way her voice shook, revealing just how scared she was at the moment.

"When _were_ going to tell me?" He asked, his voice now revealing just how angry he really was. His fist kept opening then clenching his fist together again, over and over and over, again and again.

_And again and again._

Dawn kept her eyes on his fists for a reason she didn't understand. Did she really believe he would hurt her?

Dawn didn't know how to answer. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She closed it again, thinking over her answer. What was her answer? When _was_ she going to tell him? She originally planned to tell him on Father's Day. It was the best day to tell him in her opinion. They were starting to be civil again, but then he just had to accuse her and she had to take it seriously.

She hesitated before answering uncertainly, "When I was ready."

"And when _were_ you going to be ready?" Paul's eyes flashed like fire causing Dawn to wince under his gaze.

She bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, counted to three then gave him her answer: "S-soon."

It was a lie. She knew that.

She wasn't sure if she would have ever been ready to tell him she was eight months pregnant. He would have expected her to tell him as soon as she found out.

She found out she was pregnant two weeks later, when she was two weeks pregnant. Then two weeks later their divorced happened, and by then she was a month pregnant. After their divorce she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to find the guts to tell him she was pregnant.

She really did try to tell him. She tried to tell him many times. But it was hard to do so.

He was always with _her_, Lucy, he was never around, and whenever he was around he simply ignored her. Whenever she tried to speak to him and tell him she was pregnant their conversation ended in a fight. Soon enough she couldn't even stand being _near_ him, nonetheless hold a conversation with him!

He glared at Dawn. He _glared_ at her! His hands clenched again and this time they stayed clench. Does he know I lied to him? Dawn pondered nervously, playing with the hem of her shirt, unable to look him in the eye.

There was a cough in the room.

Startled by the sudden noise Dawn whipped her head around, seeing Drew who looked out of place as his eyes went from Paul to Dawn to Paul again. "Um, while you two work everything out I'll be going. May, lets go."

Hesitantly, May left Dawn's side, mouthing a "Sorry!" to her, followed by a "Good luck!" and an uneasy smile as she waved goodbye, walking out of the door hand-in-hand with Drew.

Dawn glanced around. Zoey was still by her side, being as supportive as she could, Kenny was standing behind Zoey, a hand on the red-head's shoulder. Misty was leaning against a wall, her arms crossed, her eyes flickering nervously around. First at Paul, then glaring at Ash, at Dawn, back to Paul and then settling her gaze on Dawn. Ash had his lips pursed together on the other side of the wall, a dumbfounded look on his face. The idiot obviously had no clue what to do; Dawn wouldn't have been surprised if Ash didn't even know what was going on.

Slowly, Misty uncrossed her arms and began walking back to the door, gesturing for Ash to follow her. With soft thuds Ash walked over to his wife, grabbing her hand as they walked into the hallway and down the stairs.

"Uh... we better go too," Zoey said quietly, grabbing Kenny's hand. "Good luck; you are going to need it." Zoey whispered to Dawn before dragging Kenny outside and into the hallway.

Kenny stopped Zoey just as they stepped out of the room. "No need to worry, right DeeDee?" Dawn winced at the nickname, still feeling Paul's burning gaze on her but nodded, whispering, "Yeah... no need to worry."

I have so much to worry about though, Dawn sighed mentally.

As the door shut closed as her friends left her alone with the one man she did not want to be alone with, she let out a huge breath of air and forced herself to look up and meet her ex's cold gaze.

One... two... three... ... ... six... ... ... nine... ...

"...Aren't you going to scream at me?" Dawn asked quietly, unable to take the silence any longer.

"Why would I?" Dawn blinked, clearly shocked.

"Well... I-I'm _pregnant! _Eight months pregnant! And with your child! I didn't even tell you I was pregnant either! Aren't you mad at me? You went eight months without knowing you were going to have another child!" The blunette frowned, her breaths coming quick as many confused questions flooded her mind.

"And?"

"And... And don't you - don't - I-I can't... - Don't you _**care??**_ I could have never told you!" She blabbered on, unable to believe that he was just standing there and doing _nothing!_ He's angry! He's angry isn't he?

His eyes flashed at the last sentence, but he replied coolly, "But you were going to tell me."

The girl blinked, her breath catching in her throat. She was prepared for him to _scream!_ She was prepared for a _fight_ to break out! Why - why - no, _how_ - could he just... just... just...!

Damn it, I cannot think straight! Dawn thought angrily to herself, squeezing her eyes shut as she looked for something to say, anything to say.

"B-But I didn't tell you!" She said desperately. "You found out yourself! You only found out today because of Ash! Because Ash invited you here - to my baby shower! I didn't tell you, heck, I may have waited until the next Father's Day before telling you!"

His teeth grinded together at the last part of the sentence, his eyes darkening. "But I know now, so that's not going to happen. You won't need to tell me."

Dawn watched him with shocked eyes. Why isn't he screaming at me? If I was him I would be furious! But then again... that would be me. This is him. And nowadays, I can no longer predict his next movement, his next statement. But then again, I never really could anyway, even before. But doesn't it bother him? That he could have lived his life without knowing he had _**two **_kids? It would bug me, Dawn thought to herself. UGGH! This is so frustrating!

**Paul's POV**

Yes, I was angry. No, not because she's pregnant and didn't tell me. Actually, my anger was more frustration than anything. I was frustrated at the way she was looking at me, as if she expected me to hit her! The way she stammered and stumbled over her sentence, wondering why I wasn't angry, why I wasn't screaming at her.

Am I really... that type of guy in her eyes? Have I really become the type of guy who women expects to be hit by and screamed at nonstop?

I admit, I am kind of annoyed that she didn't try to tell me again, just go up to me, make civil conversation and announce that she's carrying my second child. But that annoyance was minimum.

"I'm not going to yell at you, so you might as well stop looking at me like you expect me to." I growled through grounded teeth, my clenched fists tightening, my fingers digging into my palm. I didn't notice the pain at all.

Dawn blinked, shocked, and for the first time I noticed they were red, as if she was holding back tears.

My heart dropped.

I growled under my breath, hating myself for making her feel this way. A lump grew in my throat as I once again found myself asking, this time out loud in a throaty whisper: "Why do you expect me to scream at you?"

"H-Huh?" She blinked again, rubbing at her eyes. "I didn't tel—"

I interrupted her, continuing my question with more vigor, more frustration put into each word, "You act as if you expect me to hit you. Why would I? I'm not angry at you for keeping that secret from me; I was just stupid, I should have known. I should have seen the signs."

Dawn blinked again, her frown deepening as her features turned grim. She looked down at her lap, her pregnant stomach, looking ashamed at herself.

"I'm just wondering why you think I am. I'm not going to hit you, I never did and I never will, so why do you expect me to?" I asked again, my eyes softening along with my words as my eyes shifted to the cream color rug.

"I-I didn't expect y-you to hit me," she answered huskily after a minute of silence. "I was just nervous; I didn't expect you to just stand here and take in the new found information calmly. I-If it was me... I would have been mad."

I grimaced, suddenly even more angry at myself. I saw her today when she was apparently waiting for Kenny to come pick her up and I hadn't noticed her changes. Not just that, but I saw her plenty of other times lately, like on the bus yesterday, and even then I didn't notice that she was pregnant, carrying a child around. Carrying my child.

How could I have been so stupid?

The last eight months have been anything but happy. Even when I was with Lucy I couldn't help but feel lonely, knowing that Dawn was no longer with me and that she didn't want to talk to me. Sometimes, without even realizing it, my thoughts would trail off to Dawn, especially when Lucy was talking to me. Sometimes I even dreamt about her and her smile.

Even though we will probably end up being only friends at the most, I knew I had to fix things; patch up as many mistakes I've made possible. I was the one who caused us to be this way, for pulling away and ignoring her, by always hanging out with Lucy and never her. At the most we'll end up being friends, maybe even good friends, but I knew I couldn't just let us go on this way. I can't let us go on like we are...

Strangers. We aren't strangers. Anything but strangers.

Especially when we have a second child on the way. We have to figure things out, figure out a plan for our future. We can't go on like this....

"Meet me at my house two Mondays from now at one o'clock, sharp. You know where the house is; after all you use to live there, too." I told her, about to turn the gold doorknob of the door when she replied back.

"With Lucy there? No thanks!" Dawn spat, scowling behind my back, her arms crossed stubbornly.

"She's going to be leaving that morning at ten o'clock that Monday, that's why I told you to come that day, or I would have just told you to come tomorrow." I replied back, rolling my eyes.

Today was Wednesday, so I have to wait about nineteen more days. I have nineteen days to figure out a plan, figure out a way to fix things. That's a little more than half a month away. Honestly, I would have liked to discuss this sooner, but I didn't want a fight to break out between Lucy and Dawn.

I was already out in the hallway when I heard her huffed, exasperated reply.

"Fine! I'll be there!"

I smirked as I closed the door behind me.

* * *

**Dawn's POV**

I blinked into the darkness, sighing heavily as I turned on my side, grunting slightly with the effort.

_"Mommy! Why is Daddy leaving? I don't want him to leave!" A curious five-year old me asked, holding a brand new teddiursa by the limb in one hand, my other hand on my chin. _

_"Dawn... please, go back to bed honey. You'll understand when you're older."_

_"Huh? Understand what? You never tell me anything!" My five-year old self whined, pouting as she crossed her arms, teddiursa still in hand. "Well, I want to know why daddy's leaving! I demand an answer! I'm not leaving until somebody tells me!" I sat down, criss-crossed applesauce (or my legs just crossed) on the floor, determination in my azure eyes._

_"If you don't go to bed Dawn, you're grounded. And we'll take away your Christmas presents." That was all my dad had to say to have me scurrying to my room and back under the covers._

"I thought I told myself I wouldn't end up like them," I thought to myself annoyed. "And yet here I am, divorced with a _two_ year old daughter. At least I was five when they decided to split up."

I tossed to my other side. Unable to get comfortable, I growled and switched on the lamp on my desk's light. I sat up in bed, hugging my knees to my stomach without putting too much pressure on it.

"How did I end up liking Paul anyway? He was a jerk to his pokemon, he rarely spoke to me, in fact, back then he had rather battle Ash then even consider looking at me. What was I thinking? I was only ten when I met him... when did I start liking him? When I was eleven? Twelve? What was my thirteen year old self thinking, going out with him... even if I did like him back then."

I buried my face in my knees and stomach. "I have a journal I kept with me when I was journeying with Ash... maybe that journal explains my reasons for liking him. And when I started falling for him..." I mumbled thoughtfully to myself.

Grunting as I crawled off the bed, I went and opened the first drawer of the nightstand by my bed. Sure enough, there was a tattered, dusty, old black notebook with _"Dawn's Journal"_ written sloppily on the cover. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

**_3/17 - I saw Paul again today. He and Ash had another battle! He didn't even look at me! Not once! I'm sick of them always battling, he talks to Brock even more than me! D: How come he doesn't like me? I wonder if he's angry at me for yelling at him at Oreburgh for forgetting my name... Next time I see Paul I'm going to say what's on my mind! I'm going to say I've had enough of their silly rivalry! Hmm... Maybe I should challenge him. Should I? ...What if I lose though. Even if I do lose though, he'll notice me. Hm... Well, being noticed by him is good enough for me! =] _**

**_~Dawn_**

I chuckled at that entry, turning a few pages back.

I read a few of the entries, my lips upturning in a smile. My smile widened the more I read my journal, chuckling now and then, even giving a giggle once in a while.

"Oh, thirteen year old me, if only you knew what was coming for you. You got the man of your dream, you got to marry him and heck, you're gonna have two kids with him... but, it isn't happy ending, young, naive girl."

Oh great, I'm talking to myself. Or rather, my thirteen year old self. Or my journal actually, I'm looking at the journal and I'm pretty much talking to it. Talking to it as if my thirteen year old self can actually hear me. Hm... actually I was probably twelve when I wrote this entry... I decided to ignore that fact though.

"'Maybe one day he will like me back. If he does happen to like me too I hope we share our first kiss under the moonlight,'" I read one of the entries out loud, leaning against the wall. That's not exactly how we shared our first kiss, I thought to myself, sadness and loneliness settling itself in my stomach.

Reading my journal from so long away, reading the entries that I wrote almost a decade ago gave me a sort a chill, a new loneliness as I thought about now, the present while I read about the past, knowing that when I wrote the entries I hadn't even had my first kiss yet. That I was only in crush mode.

"'...Or we share our first kiss after he rescues me from something! Like maybe I start getting chased by an ursaring again like the second time I saw him and he rescues me from the ursuring! Or, even more romantically, I'm hurt and lost in a forest (even though I probably wouldn't enjoy this part if this really does happen), and he finds me and heals me. He wraps my wounds up and maybe I would be able to get him to kiss them, like mom use to when I was little. That's actually kind of funny thinking of... That scenario is a bit too farfetched isn't it?'"

I laughed at that entry. "You think?" I chuckled with amusement. "He would never do that...."

I sighed, frowning at the scribble that was my handwriting from back when I was thirteen on the crinkled, yellowing paper.

"You said you wouldn't end up like mom and dad," I whispered to myself, lost in thought as I remembered how lonely I felt after my mom and dad divorced. It like there was a piece of my life missing, like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. "And yet I ended up like them anyways...."

Sighing exasperatedly, I shut my past diary and shoved it back into the drawer I found it in. I turned off the lamp's light, crawled back into bed and hid under the blankets, waiting for dreams, good or bad, to come for me and take me to a place far, far away from here....

* * *

******"**Already Gone": Dawn's POV

Hesitating in front of the door to Paul's house (and my ex-house?), I knocked on the white painted door and then stepped back, waiting for Paul to answer the door, meanwhile bouncing Carly gently in a rhythmic pattern in my arms.

If Lucy answers the door, and he was lying about Lucy going somewhere else, I swear I'll... My thoughts trailed off as Paul opened the door. He was dressed in a dark gray turtleneck (despite that turtlenecks are sort of dorky, he make them look so hot; okay, I admit, I may be annoyed at him slightly but I can't deny his good looks no matter what) and black baggy pants.

Today I decided to wear something simple since I was going to Paul's house, and as a result of an hour of simple clothes-searching in my closet, I decided to just wear a white blouse and dark blue jean shorts with black sandals. Simple enough, eh?

As he opened the door for me to enter I wasn't sure whether I should be glaring, smiling or be looking anxious, or anything else. Unsure of which expression to be wearing, I decided just to keep my face blank and walked right on inside, not even bothering to greet him.

What? He never greets me, why should I greet him?

He led me to the large square wooden table with a white table cloth over it (ahh, I remember this table; good times, good times), and luckily for me, Paul at least still had enough manners to pull a chair out for me (he if didn't, he would have had to face a wrath of a pregnant woman). He hesitated to take his seat which was across from mine, as if he wanted to ask me something. Finally, he took his seat.

"Dah-dee!" Carly cooed, stretching her chubby hands out towards Paul. Involuntarily, I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing together. A small smile tugged at Paul's lips at the sound of his daughter's voice.

I bit my cheek before asking the question that had been bothering me for about one and a half week now. "Why did you tell me to come here?" Why _did_ he ask me to come here? No that I didn't want to be here or anything, but in a way, it was sort of unexpected.

"To talk to you about some things," He said coolly, breaking his gaze from Carly to look me in the eye. My cheeks flared up at the sudden eye contact and I mentally scolded myself.

"What _kind_ of things?" I asked icily. I looked away, breaking eye contact with him. My cheeks' warmth died out some, but not much. I could still feel his gaze on me, even as I took in the house's appearance now. There were small changes to the house, but not much has changed really. "And how long is Lucy going to be gone?"

"She's going to be in a few days, not today though," Paul answered the second question first. "And I... I invited you here to... apologize."

The corner of my lips twitched, threatening to split into a smile. I knew better to get my hopes up though. I turned back towards him, biting my lower lip in order to stop myself from smiling. "Go on..." I managed to say in a quiet voice. My hold on Carly tightened some, my index finger twitching in anticipation.

"I wanted to... apologize for... for not listening to you," He began, hesitating before he continued. "For making things... difficult."

Without realizing it, I bit even harder on my lower lip, causing a dribble of blood to enter my mouth. Blushing lightly, I bought a hand to my lip, hiding another dribble of blood that rolled down my chin.

There was a moment of silence.

"...Well?" Blinking, I realized that he was now done with his apology. _...Well?_ Well, what she suppose to say? You are forgiven? I accept your apology? Do I forgive him? I knew the answer before I thought it.

...I don't think I _can_ forgive him.

But I would just make things between us worse if I said that. I knew it wasn't just because he made things hard for me to tell him about my pregnancy, but also because of the months before that. The months he forgot me, the months he ignored me and hung out with Lucy. I couldn't forgive him... for giving up on me.

That's what it felt like he did to me.

"I don't know." I breathed finally, deciding it was the next safest answer.

"What do you mean 'I don't know'?" Paul asked, his voice having a new edge to it.

I'm just going to make things worse if I tell him what I mean by 'I don't know'. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you... I don't think I can forgive you... I'm tired of living like this, Paul...

Things I was dying to say, yet they were are things that would make me die even more inside than if I left the words unspoken.

Without realizing I was saying them, I was speaking my thought out loud. "I don't know... if I can forgive you..."

There was a new, colder tension in the air. I licked my lower lip nervously, watching him from the corner of my eyes. I could feel Paul's frustration as if it was my own, that's how thick the tension was in the air.

"What..." He started slowly, carefully. "Do I have to do..." He took a breath of air, continuing, "...to make you forgive me?"

Chase after me. Care for me. Hold me. Help me. Love me. Don't hurt me anymore...

I didn't dare say those thoughts out loud, for I knew they were all too farfetch'd especially the last two. Out of all them, the help me was the most he could do for her, though it still wouldn't be enough.

"Nothing." I croaked miserably. "You can't do anything...."

I was making everything worse, yet at the moment, I couldn't care less.... Make him hate me, I don't care. He can die hating me, and I can die loving him. Sixty years later and I'll still love him....

Paul seethed between his teeth. He fist clenched together, and he closed his eyes, trying his best to calm down. "I'm trying to make things right between us again, and you're not helping!" He hissed, glaring at me.

"You ever thought there was a reason why I'm not?" I asked quietly, matching his glare with my own. "Maybe it's because I'm tired of this... I'm tired of this drama, and yet I'm going to have to continue living my life in drama... we can't even be friends anymore Paul, we'll just end up screwing our friendship up too."

"You are wrong," He whispered, his glare hardening. "Now quit being stubborn, and tell me what I can do to make you forgive me."

By stopping this conversation, maybe then I can feel a little bit of forgiveness!

My teethed grounded together, my fist clenching together as I fought back tears. Why does my life suck so badly? Why does the world hate me? Why am I forced to live like this? Can't I just be _happy?_

_Remember all the things we wanted  
Now all our memories they're haunted  
We were always meant to say goodbye_

"By ending this conversation!" I hissed. My eyes were burning, as if they were on fire. My vision was blurred with unshed tears. I turned away to rub at my eyes, rubbing the tears away.

Paul pushed his chair out, standing up angrily as he hovered over me. "Damn it, Dawn! Would you just quit being stubborn! I'm trying to be _nice_, and I even _apologized_, I'm sorry if that's not enough for you, but I don't want us to be like this anymore! Like _strangers_!"

I stood up too, cradling Carly in one arm. "I think it would have been better that way... two strangers who have nothing to do with each other..." I whispered heatedly, continuing to glare at the purple hair man.

He was really starting to get mad now.

_I didn't want us to burn out  
I didn't come here to hurt you, now I can't stop_

"I'm sorry Paul, but I just can't be with you anymore, even if it's just to be friends." I got ready to walk away, my eyes burning even more as I held my tears in, forbidding them to fall.

"Yeah, sure, run away like you always do!" Paul retorted back. I felt his gaze on my back, and I could hear the rage in his voice as he continued, "You're the reason we never worked out anyways!"

That was too much.

Too much of the truth, but also too much of a lie. It wasn't just me. It was him too. He made it this way, he made it where I had to leave him, and I couldn't deal with the pain and the anger anymore.

"...since you have jealousy issues." He sneered.

My teeth grounded together, and my fists clenched even tighter together.

"Shut up!" I screeched, turning around on my heels, my eyes reflecting that of a thousand suns. One arm held Carly (who luckily I didn't drop in my sudden madness frenzy), my other hand holding my swollen stomach. "It's not all my fault we didn't work out!"

"..."

Despite his silence, I continued, feeling my anger increase which each word. "Do you have any idea how hard it was living with you?! Do you have any idea how hard it was to believe we were actually 'husband and wife' when the husband was always with some other girl?!"

"..." His bangs fell over his face, his arms crossed as he stared at the marble floor.

"I didn't come here to be blamed for our marriage ending, Paul! It may have been me who ended it, but it wasn't my fault I had to end it!" I spat, turning back around. "You obviously didn't love me, and I wasn't going to pretend to love you when you didn't even care enough to spend a day with me." I whispered these words with the same vigor as before. Suddenly, an unwanted tear slipped from my eyes and rolled down my cheek, followed by another and another.

Damn it...

I was glad I was facing the other way, that way Paul at least couldn't see me cry....

My hand was on the doorknob, about to turn and leave, never to turn back when he finally spoke. Softly, in a gentle, heartrending voice.

"How do you know..."

"How do I know what?" I growled, my voice cracking at the end of the sentence. More tears flooded my face, and I mentally cursed my weakness.

What happened to the bubbly, outgoing, happy-go-lucky me? I sighed quietly. I don't even say my infamous catchphrase, "No need to worry!" anymore. That shows how awful life have been to me lately.

"That I didn't love you... how would you know? How would you know you're not wrong?" He asked, lifting his head up to gaze at my back.

I bit my lip, fighting back more tears. I tightened my grip on the doorknob, causing my hand to turn red from the pressure. He's saying that as if... as if he's saying... as if he's saying he... loves me.

_Or loved me._ I added grimly to myself.

"Because you didn't stop me from leaving." I whispered, opening the door and stepping out. I closed the door gently behind me.

The soft sunlight burned at my skin, warming it and frightening away the goosebumps that I recently had my arms. Despite the warmth I felt though, another shiver ran down my back.

I walked over to the car I drove here, buckled Carly up in her car seat, and climbed into the driver's seat. After fastening my seat belt, and checking on Carly one more time, I started the engine. Another tear rolled down my cheek. I didn't bother wiping it away. Another one would just follow, followed by hundreds more.

"...And you won't stop me this time, will you?" I asked out loud.

* * *

_"Started with a perfect kiss then we could feel the poison set in  
Perfect couldn't keep this love alive  
You know that I love you so, I love you enough to let you go"_

Dawn's cell phone rang, but she didn't pick it up. She knew who it was. She had just reset his ringtone to a new song. A song that she thought was a good song to give him for a ring tone, a song that described how she felt.

_"Started with a perfect kiss then we could feel the poison set in  
Perfect couldn't keep this love alive  
You know that I love you so, I love you enough to let you go"_

The cell phone rang again, but Dawn continued to ignore it. She continued packing, refusing to turn back now. "Sorry, but I have to go Paul," Dawn whispered, turning off her cell phone. "I can't live this way anymore..."

"Dawn, are you ready?" Misty asked, entering Dawn's packed bedroom, sadness clouding her eyes.

Dawn stayed silent for a minute, concentrating on finishing packing the rest of her clothes. She zipped up her suitcase before turning back to Misty. "Yeah... I am now."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ash questioned, entering the room now.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah..."

"...Where are you going to stay in Kanto?" Misty asked after a few moments of silence. "You couldn't have bought a house yet."

Dawn shook her head. "I plan on renting an apartment to stay at until I find a house to stay at." Dawn smiled apologetically at her two friends. "I'm thinking of going to Pewter City, drop in and say hi to Brock." She chuckled, gazing sadly out a window. "Let me know if May has a baby within nine months, 'kay?"

"Sure," Misty agreed, grabbing two of Dawn's closest suit cases.

"Guys... thanks so much... for helping me. I'm sorry I have to leave, I just can't deal with this anymore..." Dawn apologized.

"Hey, it's okay, really, Dawn." Ash replied softly back, also grabbing two of Dawn's suitcase. "Paul's being an asshole like always, I can understand why you want to leave... even if you could have just moved to Twinleaf, and made it easier for Me and Misty to visit you."

Dawn chuckled, letting her thoughts drift off. "I can't believe May is refusing to take a pregnancy test... it's like she's afraid that we'll be right, eh Misty?"

Misty chuckled to, saying with a bit more life, "Yeah! May could be going in labor and she'll probably still deny being pregnant! We all know May is going to be pregnant, if not already. Those two are animals! At least, with their lips."

"Thanks for chatting Misty and not helping me get the rest of the suitcase," Ash said sarcastically to Misty who just grinned in return. "Ugh! Well, that's the last of them!"

"Do you want me to buckle Carly up for you, Dawn?" Misty volunteered, taking the purple hair child from Dawn's arms.

"Oh, well, I could have done it myself, but sure, you can. Thanks," Dawn was about to climb into the car when she realized something was wrong. "Oh god...."

"Hm?" Misty finished strapping Carly in before turning to Dawn. "Is something wrong?"

"Misty...?"

"Yeah?"

"...My water bag broke."

Misty's eyes widened, as she rushed to help Dawn into the car who was already experiencing painful contractions.

"Crap! Not again!" Ash panicked, jumping into his car and starting the engine. Misty slammed the door on the opposite side of him. "Crap! Crap! Crap!" Ash cursed to himself, backing out of the driveway.

"Quit being an idiot Ash!" Misty snapped, glaring at her raven hair husband. "This isn't the first time you had to deal with a pregnant woman about to give birth!"

"I _know_ that Misty! That's why I'm _panicking_! I suck at things like this, you should know!" Ash replied back, his face flushed and sweat rolling down on his face. "Thanks Arceus there's a hospital close by!"

"Ash, just shut up and _drive_!" Dawn yelled, gasping slightly as she experienced another contraction.

"Dawn, let me see your phone!" Misty ordered, plucking the phone from Dawn's grasp and turning it back on.

* * *

**Paul's POV**

"Goddamn it! Pick up!" I cursed to the phone, pacing back and forth, back and forth.

_"Started with a perfect kiss then we could feel the poison set in  
Perfect couldn't keep this love alive  
You know that I love you so, I love you enough to—"_

"Finally! Listen Dawn—"

_"This isn't Dawn, this is Misty!"_ A voice that definitely didn't belong to Dawn snapped into the phone.

"Well, where is she then?" I asked angrily. Why is she making things so difficult?!

_"She's at the hospital—giving BIRTH! And that's right, to your child, which is exactly why I picked up your phone call in the first place for Dawn! Now, if you want to do something HALF WAY right for once, I suggest you get your-no-good-ass over here and HELP HER, or else you'll be having to sleep with your eyes open and a baseball bat close by, ya hear?!"_

"...."

_"Hello?"_

My jaw dropped open, my mouth dried up like an old sponge that hadn't been used in ages. "I-I'll be there..." I croaked finally, finding my voice.

With that said, I hung up the phone, picking up my coat on the way and pulling it on, then grabbed my car keys.

* * *

**Dawn's POV**

Black and white. Black and white. That's what my vision was. Black and white. Black then white, white then black. It kept switching between the two, as if my eyes couldn't make up its mind on which one looked better. White, black, white, black—_AUUUGGHH!!_

There was another contraction and my breathing picked up, my breaths coming in heavy, fast puffs. "Oh God!" I screeched, yet another painful contraction ripping through me. I don't remember my last birth being this painful!

I was already in a white hospital gown, the one you wear when you are about to give birth, or after you were in a horrible accident. Or better yet, the gown the hospital people put on you or make you change into when you're in the hospital for whatever reason.

"Push!"

I did as the voice told me, despite how annoyed I was at hearing that word. _Push! Push! Push! Push!_ Oh, just **_SHUT UP! _**You're not the one giving birth are you?! Push! Push! Push! Sure I'll push! _**I'LL PUSH YOU OFF A CLIFF!!**_

"Push!"

I held onto the rail of the bed, tears in my eyes as there was another contraction.

"He's here!" Who's here?

"Dawn!" A familiar voice called out who I couldn't quite identify, the man, whoever he was, rushing to my side. It was a voice I've heard recently, a voice I heard sometime today. I was in too much pain to care who it was, I just knew I needed some kind of _support!_

I grabbed the man's hand, squeezing it with all my strength as I pushed, contractions following. "Auggghhh!" I closed my eyes, my breathing quickening, and my blurry vision blacked out once more. Black splotches in white, white splotches in black, colorful splotches in red vision, colorful splotches in green, purple, blue, back to black and white....

_"Something's wrong here!"_ A distant voice yelled to another.

Black... white... black... white...

Too much... Too much... pain...

Black splotches with white, white splotches with black...

_"Dawn!"_ The same man from before yelled, squeezing my hand in support. I was only able to squeeze lightly back this time.

The black and white was gone now, but my vision was still blurry. I couldn't make out any shapes, just color. Purple... I saw purple...

_"Dawn! Dawn! Wake up! Dawn! Dawn, don't go!"_

_"She's losing a lot of blood!"_

_"Dawn!"_

_"We're going to have to do a cesarean!"_

_"Dawn! Don't go!"_

_"She might have to get blood transfusion too!"_

_"Dawn! Please, Dawn! Damn it! Don't close your eyes!"_

_"Mister, we are going to have to ask you to leave."_

_"I'm not leaving!"_

_"Mister, you are goi—"_

_"I am NOT going to leave her! She's having **my** kid!"_

Black again... White again... Finally, I remembered who the voice belonged to.

"Paul...?" I whispered before blacking out completely.

* * *

**Paul's POV**

Time went by both slowly and quickly, time was a blur, a colorful blur. It was also mute. All I could see is colorful blurs, mainly a blue, white and pastel color blur, along with the horrible blur of red. The only sound I could hear was the sound of my heavy breathing.

"Dawn don't die..." I whispered, squeezing her hand. The dark blue blur shifted slightly, and a lock of midnight blue hair brushed my hand as her head lolled around.

The doctors worked beside me, cutting out the baby from Dawn's womb. I paid no attention to them though, caught up in my own world. Tears blurred my vision, and I tightened my hold on Dawn's hand when she shifted again. A groan escaped her, followed by a small gasp.

There was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, glaring at the doctor through my tears.

Hmph. Tears... when was the last time I cried? I honestly didn't know, I don't remember ever crying. I didn't remember one memory of me getting upset and crying; it just wasn't like me to cry, unlike Dawn. But now I was. I blinked the tears away.

"Mr. Shinji?" A middle-aged male doctor questioned.

"What?" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Would you like to see your son?" I blinked. ...Son? I turned my attention back to Dawn, and to my astonishment there was only two doctors surrounding her now, carefully wrapping bandages around her torso which was now stitched up. Her hospital gown was no longer dirty and bloody, but clean and white, having been given a new one to wear.

Her head lolled around as she turned to face the doctor. "Can I... see him?" She questioned, her voice dry and wispy. Her face was a sick pale color and sweat drenched her forehead. Somehow, despite her sickly state, she managed to sit up with her back erect. She held out her arms, freeing her hand from mine, as a pink-haired nurse handed her a tiny, bald baby wrapped in blue blankets.

She gave a small happy sigh at the sight of him, a smile forming on her pale, delicate face as she whispered, "He's beautiful..." A strange feeling filled my chest, a feeling mixed with happiness... relief... sadness... and... serenity.

The newborn she held in her hand was still red, and though he was bald, there was midnight blue fuzz already forming on its head. "Gaa," The baby's eyes opened, revealing midnight black eyes with a light glint in it. "Aaahh..." Its eyes slipped closed again, falling into a light slumber.

"What are you going to name it?" I asked quietly, forcing myself to turn and look at Dawn.

She held her gaze on her newborn son for a few more seconds before whispering, "Hiroki."

I blinked, my jaw dropping open slightly in shock.

_-x-Flashback-x-_

_"What should we name it if it's a boy?" Dawn turned her blue eyes up at me, placing both hands on her swollen belly. She caressed it, saying thoughtfully, "I think we should name it something that will suit us both. Like, a name with two meanings. Maybe there's a male name that means 'strong' but also mean um,... 'joyful' or something?"_

_"..." There was this one name he had saw somewhere that were similar to the one she suggested._

_"There's this one name I saw somewhere," I started to tell her. "It means both 'strength' and 'abundant joy'."_

_"Really?" Her smile brightened. She took my hand, squeezing it lightly. "What's the name?"_

_"Hiroki."_

_-x-Flashback-x-_

"Why?" I found myself asking.

She looked away, gently cradling the infant in her arms. "Because it's a beautiful name," she whispered. She turned back to me, looking me straight in the eye. "And because you suggested it. It really is a name that could suit us both." She smiled gently, and took my hand, gently moving her thumb over my hand in circles.

"You wanna hold him?" She asked, sitting up even more erect as she offered me _Hiroki._

Hesitating, I gently took the infant from her arms, slipping my hand away from her so I wouldn't drop my son. A small smile graced my lips as I held Hiroki, my heart becoming light, my head becoming clearer. I ran my hand over his smooth head, my smile widening. He really was beautiful.

I held my son in my hand for a few more minutes, admiring him before a nurse came in, looking somewhat skittish and out-of-place.

"Um... if it's okay with you two, we sort have to—" I sighed inwardly, glancing at Dawn who nodded. Reluctantly, I handed the brown hair nurse Hiroki, frowning slightly.

"Paul...?"

"Hn," I grunted in acknowledgement.

"We need to talk." She stated exhaustedly, her voice stern and determined. I sighed, outwardly this time, because I knew this time would come, and as much as I wanted to discuss things with her, it was still going to be an exhausting conversation to have.

**-x-Regular POV-x-**

"I broke up with Lucy," Paul stated flatly, taking a seat on short, metal barstool near Dawn's hospital bed.

Dawn blinked, surprised—mainly for jumping straight to the point, not because he broke up with her. Once that fact sunk in though Dawn blinked again, shock etched on her face.

"You did? But why?" She frowned, her thin eyebrow narrowing together. She set her lips in a firm line, glaring at the purple hair man. Don't tell me... he didn't just break up with her so he could...?

Paul answered her unspoken question for her. "So you wouldn't have to raise a second child alone."

Dawn's frown deepened. She was touched—really she was! But that was the only reason he broke up with Lucy. Not for the reason Dawn oh-so-desperately wanted him to. If Paul was to break up with Lucy Dawn wanted it to be because she _missed_ her, because he _loved_ her, because he _needed_ her.

"As soon as I'm out of this hospital and I'm recovered from my... Caesarean Section, I'm moving to Kanto. Alone." Dawn announced firmly, challenging him to object to her decision.

"_What?_ But why? I f-ing broke up with Lucy for you!" He scowled, his teeth grinding together.

"Yeah, well, you should have stayed with her!" Dawn sneered, her eyes starting to water, burning slightly. Damn it... why must I be so sensitive? Damn emotions... Dawn blinked the tears away fiercely, continuing to glare at Paul.

"What the hell do you want me to do?!" Paul's scowled deepened, shutting his eyes closed tightly. his fists opening and closing as he vented his anger, muttering incoherent curses to himself. "Do you want me to beg?"

Actually, now that I think about it... yes, I do want you to beg, Dawn thought to herself sourly.

"No, I want you to stop doing things for the wrong reasons," Dawn responded, continuing determinedly, "I don't want you to come back, unless you want to come back. I don't want you to come back, unless you want to come, _and_ I don't want you to come back just because I'm going to be raising your second child!" Dawn fumed.

Silence filled the air.

"Dawn..."

"What?" Dawn practically spat, continuing to glare at the young man.

Before Dawn could react, Paul grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, placing his lips on top of hers. Heat washed over Dawn's body, her whole body tingling as a small gasp escaped through her lips. Butterfrees danced in her belly, and for a second she felt like giggling like an infatuated school girl. The feeling was quickly replaced by a different feeling. A feeling of need.

"Mm," Dawn moaned, returning the kiss. Her hand crawled up his arm, finding it's way into Pauls purple locks, entangling itself in his hair. Paul's arms wrapped around Dawn's waist, careful not too put too much pressure on her torso in case she was still sore from giving birth and the C-section.

"Paul..." Dawn whispered, breaking lip contact for just one second in order to get a quick breath of air. He responded by pressing his lips firmly but gently against her lips. He unwrapped one arm from torso, letting his hand brush her cheekbone then letting his fingers trail down to her jaw, and finally letting it rest on her chin. He tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss needfully.

Dawn closed her eyes, savoring the kiss, before reopening them. A shuddered ripped through her body, a tear rolling down her cheek. She disentangled her hand from his hair, a sob escaping her throat as she pulled away, more tears rolling down her face.

Paul sighed, but said nothing, letting his bangs cover his eyes. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "I'll leave you alone now."

Dawn said nothing, just silently weeping to herself, letting the tears run down her cheek and chin, spilling messily onto her hospital gown. No, I'm sorry, Dawn thought, another noisy sob escaping her lips, followed by a hiccup. For having to leave you, again.

* * *

_Heh heh... err, this chapter could have been better but it definitely could have been worse. What do you think? And another super-long chapter. The next chapter won't be this long though. Maybe around 5000 words? Maybe... Only one chapter and an epilogue left now... :P (Haha, yay though! I'm becoming good at updating this story! xD) Also sorry for any mistakes I may have missed... xP_

_Get me to 150 reviews and I'll love ya all 4ever! ;D_


	11. Correcting Their Mistakes

**Chapter Ten: Correcting Their Mistakes**

A week after having Hiroki, Dawn would finally be released from the hospital.

For seven days while she slept, or while he and everyone else _thought_ she was asleep, he would visit her, sitting by her hospital bed. While he watched her "sleep" he would take her hand and move his thumb over it, and he would talk to her. As if she was awake, although he knew she was suppose to be asleep.

She wasn't asleep though, just deep in thought. And when he visited she would feign sleep, because she didn't want him to turn back. She didn't want him to leave just yet; she craved his company despite the fact she could never tell him that in person. So she stayed silent. She enjoyed listening to his words. And right before he's about to go, he would say the same three words to her: "I love you." In the most sorrowful, bittersweet voice.

She believed him, but she didn't _want_ to believe him. She didn't know whether she _should_ believe him.

So after he would leave she would sigh, turn over in her bed and ponder. After his fourth day of doing this, she knew what she was going to do. She was going to leave; she was going to continue her original plan of going to Kanto.

This would be his final test.

And whether he passed or failed, it all depends on what he does.

* * *

"I still can't believe Dawn is going through with moving to Kanto," Ash said to Paul who was leaning indifferently against a tree. Ash continued, "If it was Misty who was planning to move to a different region and away from me, I would be trying to convince her otherwise. And if that doesn't work, I could always turn to Team Rocket. They may have retired from attempting to capture pikachu, but I'm sure with the right amount of money they would gladly help me try to win Misty back."

"Are you going to continue to bore me with this stuff which I honestly couldn't care less about Ash," Paul questioned irritably. "Or can we start our battle already?"

No, Paul had _not_ forgot about his pokemon or his goal to get strong enough to defeat Cynthia, the current Sinnoh champion, in the drama that had been taking place in his life lately.

He had never forgotten his goal; he always made sure his pokémon got at least two hours of training each day. He always made sure of this even when he and Dawn were still together. Half the time whenever Dawn thought he was going out with Lucy, Paul was really out training his pokémon in the Veilstone Park. Even the days when he did go hang out with Lucy, he always went out to train his pokémon before heading home to Dawn.

Ash sighed, muttering something unintelligible under his breath before taking out a red and white capsule, or a pokéball, and shouting, "Go! Charizard!"

There was a flash of red as the capsule released said pokemon. The red light turned to white as the figure of a large dragon pokemon began to form. The light faded and in its place stood an orange dragon pokémon with a blazing flame on the tip of its tail.

"ZAAAARRR!" The pokemon roared, kicking its powerful hind legs as it took off into the air.

"What is this battle going to be? Three on three?" Drew asked, flicking his chartreuse hair as he leaned casually against a tree.

Paul nodded once. "It's going to be three on three and no switching pokémon. The one with the last pokémon standing wins." With that said, he threw his own pokéball, releasing his ursaring. "Stand by for battle, Ursaring!"

"GRAAAWWRRR!" The bear pokémon let a roar as he was released, glaring at the dragon-like pokémon in front of it.

"You can attack first." Paul announced to Ash. Of course, he planned to use Ash's charizard making the first move to his advantage.

"Use take down, Charizard!" Ash commanded, only half paying attention to the battle, the other half still registered on the previous rather one-sided conversation he was having with Paul.

"Hey, there's nothing stopping you from going to Kanto too, Paul! I know you want to become a champion in this state, but maybe you could make an exception of becoming a champion in Kanto, that way you could be with Dawn!" Ash chirped, grinning from ear to ear. "Misty and I were considering moving back to Kanto, too! You could come with us!"

"Charrr!" Charizard charged at the bear pokémon from in the air, gathering momentum on the way.

"Grawrr?" Ursaring turned obediently to Paul, waiting for his command.

"Wait…wait…" Paul muttered, waiting until Charizard was just close enough to… "Now! Use hammer arm!"

Ursaring's forearms began to glow white. "GRAAAWWRRR!" Ursaring slammed it's arms down on Charizard, first it's right which stopped Charizard from completing it's attack, then it's left which sent Charizard to the ground, about ten feet away.

"CHAARRR!" The pokémon wasn't going to be easily defeated. Not without landing a few successful hits, anyway.

"Can't believe I didn't see that coming," Ash muttered to himself. "Sorry Charizard! That was my fault!"

"I'm not going to Kanto," Paul stated flatly, surprising Ash slightly.

Ash blinked as he registered what Paul just said. Ash blinked again in understanding as he realized that was Paul's reply to the offer he made earlier. "I don't see why not."

"Dawn is moving there for a reason," Paul rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he glared at his rival. "And that reason is to get away from me. If she wants to move there, fine, but I'm not going to follow her."

"Charizard, fire spin!" Ash ordered before going back to his conversation with Paul. "So you're just…giving up on Dawn? Just like how gave up on Chimchar?!" Ash asked angrily, glaring at Paul with the same anger he use to back when they were traveling in Sinnoh for gym battles.

Paul winced mentally at the words 'giving up', but remained his calm composure from the outside. "Dodge and use slash, Ursaring!" Paul ordered, no longer focused on the battle and just throwing out attacks for Ursaring to use. "I didn't give up on Dawn, Dawn gave up on me." Paul stated coldly.

"Who said she gave up on you?! Maybe she just needs a break! It doesn't mean you should just let her go to Kanto without at least _trying_ to stop her! What about last time? Last time she did this, you chased after her! Why not this time?"

Realizing Ash was too focused on his heated argument with Paul to order him to attack, Charizard roared and opened its mouth and let loose five fireballs as it used ember. Ursaring roared in mixed pain and fury as the attack landed a direct hit on the pokémon. Ursaring glared, roaring as a light-blue ball of energy began to form between its opened paws. Ursaring let out another roar as it shot the focus blast at the dragon pokemon.

"That time was different," Paul hissed through grounded teeth, clenching his fist together and his glare matching Ash's. "I made a stupid mistake then, I said some stupid things, so of course I went after her! She knows what she wants now, it's her decision. I'm not going to stop her this time."

"But it was also her decision the first time, too!" Ash shouted, determination flashing in his eyes as he tried to knock some sense into Paul. "And you still went after her! It's the same as last time Paul!"

Drew sighed, shaking his head at the trainers, feeling sympathy for the poor, poor pokémon that got stuck with those two as trainers.

Paul's glared hardened as he replied back icily, "No, it's not the same thing! We were only teenagers back then! We weren't married, we didn't have kids, and we were just a couple that had recently broken up. Now she knows devotion; she devoted herself to me as a loyal, loving wife for three years. Now she knows real responsibility, responsibility needed to care for a child. She knows what she's doing!"

Ash continued to glare, unable to come up with a good comeback for that response.

Drew sighed, shaking his head at the two trainers. "He's right Ash," Drew decided to chime in. "She does know what she's doing. She's not eighteen anymore, and she's more responsible than she was back then. She knows the responsibility it takes to raise a kid, and the responsibility it takes for a successful marriage." _Even though her marriage ended up being anything but successful_, Drew added in his mind.

"Why are you taking his side?" Ash snapped back, letting loose a string of curse words in his mind as he realized they were right. He sighed mentally.

"Pika pi…" Pikachu too sighed exhaustively in his mind, shaking his head as both Charizard and Ursaring crashed to the ground in exhaustion.

"I'm not taking anybody's side," Drew defended coolly, flicking his hair once more. "But Ash has a point too, Paul. It wouldn't hurt to at least try to stop her from moving there! For all you know, she may not want to go there at all. Heck, she could even be trying to test you…see how long it will take before you go begging for her back…" Drew smirked, earning a glare from Paul.

Noticing his pokémon was knocked out along with Ash's, Paul sighed, returning his Ursaring to its pokéball.

"I'm not going to do something as pitiful as _begging_ for someone back ever again," Paul responded with a new cold edge to his voice. "Our marriage was meant to end anyway. We just weren't meant for each other, and all that other cheesy, dramatic crap."

With that said, Paul walked away, heading for his brother's house, Reggie's house, which was still in Veilstone.

**-x-x-x-**

_**F**or **P**aul,_

_**I**'m leaving for Kanto tomorrow in the morning. **O**f course, not that you care. **L**ilycove is a pretty luxurious city, maybe I'll go there instead of Kanto.** V**ermillion city in Kanto sounds like a nice place to settle down, too. **U**nlikely I'll actually settle down there though. **L**avender city is the hometown of the pokémon tower, so I'm definitely not going to go there.** A**ctually, I'm not going to settle in any town with those creepy haunted towers! **E**ventually I'll probably end up moving back to Sinnoh. **M**ost likely I'll end up in Twinleaf since I grew up there when I was a kid. **E**arlier today I ran into an umbreon. **U**mbreons are very strange pokémon, it ran away before I even had a chance to attempt capturing it. **O**f course, I'm pretty sure you don't care. **Y**es, I realize this letter is filled with nonsense and crap you don't care about, so I'll just say what I originally planned to tell you in the next paragraph._

_**E**veryday I go without you, the better. **V**iolence in my book is a sin, and though we didn't really do anything too violent (except me throwing glass objects), it's still better this way. **A**nyway, imagine what it would be like for Carly and Hiroki if we were still together. **E**veryday their parents fighting... **L**istening to us shout curses to each other…**E**ventually they would get sick of us… **M**ost likely leave the first chance they have._

_**T**his may be the better decision, but even I know that Carly and Hiroki can't be away from their dad for their whole life. **E**very Christmas I'm going to send Carly and Hiroki to you. **L**ove for them is the only reason I'm doing this though (that, and I'm not evil). **T**hey can spend two weeks at your house and then after Christmas Day I get them back. **N**ot that I'm trying to act as if only I can decide when they go see you, but I think this is the best way. **O**bviously they will only be going to your house for Christmas if you agree, and I'll let them visit you a few other times than Christmas._

_**D**awn -- XOXO_

"Ex oh ex oh? Hmm…" Reggie grinned slyly as he read the letter that Dawn had previously given him to give to his younger brother, Paul. "But then again, every letter she sends Paul has 'ex oh ex oh' on it." Reggie sighed.

Reggie read the letter again. I am not snooping in Paul's mail just to invade his privacy, Reggie thought to himself.

I'm just being the good older brother like I'm supposed to be and checking his mail. Besides, Dawn gave it to me to give to him; she could have just given it to Paul, but no she gave to me. She wants me to check his mail, Reggie reassured himself with a smirk.

"Hmm… what's with the purple letters at the beginning of every sentence?" Reggie asked out loud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Must be some secret code Paul is supposed to figure out!" Reggie exclaimed, grabbing a nearby pen and a napkin. "And I'm going to figure it out!" Reggie grinned, scrawling the uppercase letters that were in purple ink rather than black ink on his napkin.

As Reggie worked out what this possible code could be he heard the front door open and slam shut, indicating that Paul had gotten his message to come to his house.

"What do you want?" Paul snapped at his brother as he walked in.

"Mail from Dawn." Reggie pointed with his thumb at a torn envelope and a letter covered in scrawled black ink that lay on his brown wooden table.

"Can't you stay out of my mail, Reggie?" Paul scowled at his brother. He picked up the letter from Dawn and read through it, a blank expression on his face and his eyes dull and glazed over. He paid no attention to the purple uppercase letters at the beginning of every sentence.

Paul sighed, placing the letter back on the table.

"What am I suppose to do? Call her or send her another letter replying to her letter?" Paul muttered, shoving his hands back into his pocket.

"Hey, at least she's being considerate!" Reggie chirped from his place on the wooden stool. _I wonder where Dawn learned to code her letters like this, _Reggie wondered.

"Aha!" Reggie grinned as he figured out the mystery inside the letter. He set the pen down and examined the paper in front of him, his grin widening as he checked to make sure he didn't make a mistake or anything.

"What" Paul questioned, raising an eyebrow at his older brother who currently looked like a grinning fool.

Reggie glanced at Paul and argued mentally to himself on whether he should tell Paul or not. "Oh…nothing. Nothing at all!" Reggie said slyly, a smirk on his lips. "But… maybe you should reread that letter Dawn sent you… it might have an important message in it you missed!"

Paul scoffed. "Message? The only message I could see is 'I rather not see you ever again but I'll put up with you for the sake of our kids'."

"I wonder why she wrote the first letter in every sentence in purple pen and the rest in black pen. Looks pretty fishy to me. You should reread the message anyway!"

"Whatever, fine…" Paul muttered as he began rereading the letter.

As he started the second paragraph of the letter he found his mind starting to wander off… his mind drifting like a cloud to memories of his… the words, the letters on the paper, the scrawl… it all remind him of a time… a time of happiness, despite the words.

_**E**veryday I go without you the better…_

Memories… memories… memories that were so vivid… and real… as if he was actually reliving the memories. Paul closed his eyes, his breathing shallow.

The memory of soft lips against his… The memory of whispers in his ears… The memory of heat radiating off another body that was close to his… A head resting against his chest, arms wrapping around his torso… The memory of three words, three meaningful whispers: _"I love you…"_

_**L**istening to us shout curses to each other…_

The memory of a roaring sound in his ears from the adrenaline of the kiss… of her lips against his… His hands tangled in her blue locks.

A shudder escaped his lips and he opened his eyes before closing it once again and then reopening them. The words printed on the letter were a blur. A black blur with a tinge of purple…

_**D**awn -- XOXO_

Seeing her name on the picture another memory came to Paul's mine. Or an image, actually. No, actually it was both, it was all. Images of her, memories of her, memories of them… Memories of them together, memories of them happy…

A shiver went down his spine at and his throat went dry as another memory came to his mind along with a voice… A voice that did not belong to the scenario.

He now saw the message in her letter. It went unsaid, it was just there… it wasn't said, it was hardly even hinted at, but the message was clear… The answer was there.

An image of Dawn by the pokémon center in Veilstone, standing next to a brunette with sapphire eyes. Her back was to him, an envelope and crumpled up letter littered the floor next to her. In one hand she held a shiny object that caught the dim sunlight. Paul knew he was running towards now, shouting her name as she turned around in shock and disbelief, tears in her eyes, but her name… was mute. Instead of him shouting her name he heard a different voice.

"_Because you didn't stop me from leaving…"_

Paul blinked, his heart felt as if it was slamming into his ribcage. That was his mistake… his stupid mistake….

Not going after her.

"…_And you won't stop me this time, will you?"_

It was barely a whisper, but Paul had managed to hear it anyway as she slammed the door behind her, tears in her eyes.

"Did you figure out the message?" Reggie's voice broke Paul out of his trance-like state, and he whipped his head around to stare at his older brother, a frown on his face.

"What?" He asked, missing Reggie's question.

"Did you find the _secret_ message?" Reggie grinned from ear to ear at his brother, awaiting his response.

It was quiet for a few seconds as Paul thought this over.

"_Because you didn't stop me from leaving…"_

…

"…_And you won't stop me this time, will you?"_

"Yes." Paul breathed, letting the paper that was in his hands slip from his grip, falling lightly to the floor like a feather. "Yeah… I did…"

_And I'm not going to make the same mistake twice… _Paul thought to himself as he slammed the door to Reggie's house. _Not again…_

* * *

Dawn sighed as she stared out of the window in her apartment. She glanced at the baby boy that was sleeping in small cradle at the moment, a cradle that once belonged to Carly.

_Maybe it was just too much to ask for…_

With another sigh, she swept her bangs from her face and continued looking out the window. "Reggie said he would call you and give it to you as soon as you were there… I would think you would have gotten it by now…"

…_Too much to ask for a miracle_

_That can help save this… "relationship"._

_A miracle that could make you understand._

Her gaze was dull and sad with tears that she refused to shed, no matter how much she just wanted to weep all day. "I don't want to do this… don't make me leave…" she murmured.

Silver-gray clouds hovered in the already blue-gray sky.

_That could turn this hate back to love…_

_Back to before…_

Maybe being with you was a mistake from the beginning. Maybe we were never meant to be and I had been fooling myself into thinking we could be… Maybe. Could it be possible?

Dawn shook her head at the voice that refused to be silenced.

…I won't give up on you yet.

_But even if you feel the same… even if you don't want me to go…_

_You obviously don't care enough about me enough to think…_

_About what it would take to stop me…_

_Because…_

Dawn closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek as she did. A shudder escaped her pale thin lips as the teardrop landed on her arm, causing a shiver to erupt through her body.

_All you have to do is…_

"I know I said in the letter I wasn't leaving until morning, but…" Dawn whispered, glancing sorrowfully at her beloved son. Her eyes soon trailed down to her daughter who was currently playing with a doll of hers. "…maybe it's best if I don't fool my heart any more than I already have…"

…_stop me._

* * *

Paul walked at a brisk pace, his hands shoved deep inside his jacket's pockets as he walked to the apartment he heard Dawn had temporarily been staying at. He walked through the apartment's gates, looking for any sign of Dawn, just in case she had decided to leave early.

And sure enough he saw her, heaving a suitcase in her car's trunk…

Paul's breathing hitched, his heart thumping at an uneven pace as he watched the blunette who had the saddest, loneliest look in her eyes… a look of somebody doing something they were going to deeply regret.

She didn't want to go…

Paul's hand twitched, his jaw tightening as he stared at the young woman with the most heartbreaking look on her face. Paul felt an emotion he never felt before… something he couldn't put a name to…

Sympathy? Pity? Regret…

It was regret mixed with sympathy and pity…

What had I done?

_I have torn her apart._

"_**No. All she is to me is a nuisance, somebody who gets in my path of getting stronger, and therefore wastes my precious time!"**_

_Only to re-stitch her with my "lies"._

"_**Dawn... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean those words I spoke."**_

_Slowly reopening the wounds…_

"_**It was a mistake ever taking you back!"**_

_Only to tear her into more pieces than before…_

_**"If you hate me now, like you did back then, why don't you just leave? Divorce me, huh? I bet that would make you happy for once."**_

_Pouring salt on the open wound…_

"_**If what? That we got back together? Yeah, will that's never going to happen!"**_

_Destroying her…_

"_**I'm trying to make things right between us again, and you're not helping!"**_

_Slowly…_

_**"You can't do anything...."**_

_I am the monster._

"_**Maybe it's because I'm tired of this... I'm tired of this drama, and yet I'm going to have to continue living my life in drama... we can't even be friends anymore Paul, we'll just end up screwing our friendship up too."**_

_But I will fix that. _

_I can't let us become strangers… I can't let us stay what we have become…_

"Dawn…" Paul whispered, watching her with soft coal black eyes. Eyes that were reflected the deep regret he felt, reflected the emotion like staring into a crystal clear pond, or like staring into a mirror.

As if she somehow managed to hear Paul's whisper she turned around, nearing jolting at the sight of Paul. Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes beginning to burn with the disastrous emotion hope. Dare she let her heart hope? Dare she get her hope up, only to lead it to a possible fall?

"What are you doing here?" Dawn demanded, the words forced from her dry throat. She cleared her throat, blinking back the hot tears of hope, of hope that could fall into the deep abyss of unfulfilled promises anytime.

Paul didn't answer but continued to walk towards the girl, his pace less brisk than before.

Dawn's heart ached, pounding painfully as he got closer and closer to her. Her eyes stung but she refused to cry—whether it was hope, anger or sadness, she _refused_ to cry!

For the moment anyway.

Paul stopped less than a foot away from Dawn, staring at her with his smoldering eyes—dark, beautiful eyes that held so many mysteries… eyes that made her heart jump and sigh.

Dawn took an uncertain step back, repeating the same question shakily, and forcing anger into her voice, "What are you doing here?!"

Dare she hope? Dare she believe? Dare she let herself think that he could possibly… just possibly…

"I'm here to talk to you." He murmured, barely more than a whisper. Without warning, he grabbed one of her wrist.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?!" Dawn shrieked, pulling back immediately. He continued to grip her wrist though. "You can't convince me to stay!"

It was a lie. They both knew it was a lie.

Dawn turned her head upward, forcing herself to glare into her eyes. "Oh crap." The quiet mutter escaped her lips before she stop it. Her eyes softened, her azure eyes melting into his smoldering coal-colored eyes.

_Don't let me fall…_

Paul let go of her wrist, letting it fall limply to her side as his other hand cupped her left cheek, smoothing his thumb over the soft, warm skin. He leaned down, closing his eyes as he filled in the space between their lips.

Electricity jolted through both of them and Dawn shuddered, letting her eyelids fall shut, letting herself get sucked into the moment, get sucked into the kiss like their was some invisible force pulling her in. Dawn smiled widely into the kiss, hot tears running down her cheeks from the happiness that filled her chest, expanding it like a balloon.

Paul pulled their lips apart, their lips now separated by less than a centimeter. Her breathing still rather irregular and uneven, Dawn's eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring into Paul's glazed-over eyes. He pulled farther away before leaning back in, his mouth nearly on her earlobe.

"I'm not going to make the same mistake again," He rasped. A shiver went down Dawn's spine, her eyes fluttering close again as her grin grew wider. He continued, "And I'm not going to let you leave, because I…"

More tears ran down Dawn's cheeks, her shoulders trembling from the exhilaration inside of her that was threatening to expand until she would explode… until she exploded with happiness.

"…love you."

This time it was Dawn who kissed Paul, smashing her lips against his as her arms wrapped around his neck.

…_I love you too, Paul._

* * *

_Yaaay~! Got this up! Well, there's only one more chapter left now—the Epilogue. That one may take a while to get up since I'm going be going back to school on Thursday. Tell me what you think about this chapter. This chapter was a lot harder to write than the last couple of ones since it's the second to last one. I'm not completely happy with it... but I think it's decent enough. _

_**Also a playlist that helped inspire me write this chapter:  
**Pretender by Foo Fighters, Savin' Me by Nickelback, What Happened to Us? by Hoobastank (the lyrics to this song can describe most of this story wonderfully!) and Which to Bury, Us or the Hatch? by Relient K_

_Also, whoever can solve the code in the letter Dawn wrote gets a cookie along with a sundae!_ _Also MANY thanks_ _to everybody who have reviewed this chapter! Really - thanks so much! You guys rock! ;D Now... *cough* Review? I would like to see if I can get to 180 review now. *is shot* xD (Damn it, stupid, long Author Note!)_

_ALSO VOTE ON MY NEW POLL!_

**Edit: 8/14/09 -** Oops! Sorry for everybody who have already read this chapter (and is trying to figure out the code) but I just found out I had an "unwanted" letter in the message, a letter that wasn't suppose to be there. So, my bad and my apology! D;


	12. Epilogue

**Ages:**

One Year Later - Dawn: 22) Paul: 23)  
Two Years Later - Dawn: 23) Paul: 24)  
Three Years Later - Dawn: 24) Paul: 25)  
Five Years Later - Dawn: 26) Paul: 27)  
Ten Years Later - Dawn: 31) Paul: 32)

_By the way when I say "-insert number here- Years Later" I mean "-insert number here-" after Chapter Ten. Just wanted to clear that up in case I confuse anybody. Now enjoy the chapter! ^^ (Well, hopefully you'll enjoy the chapter…)_

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Sick of this fighting, screaming, hating…_

_Tired of having to say 'I hate you'_

_Tired of hearing you say 'I hate you'_

_Especially when we both know they are lies_

_And that it will be alright by the morning_

_Nothing_ _can stop us from fighting though_

_It's not possible for us to be perfect… _

…_nothing is perfect… _

…_So how could we possible be perfect?_

* * *

_(One Year Later)_

The beginning and the end.

The beginning had already past, and the end hasn't yet come, and hopefully won't come for years to come.

"…_Paul?"_

'…I'm not making a mistake,' Dawn thought to herself, gripping the bouquet in her hands even tighter than before. 'He loves me and I love him. Nothing else matters. We'll have our fights, we'll have our good and bad days, but we will still love each other. That's all that counts…'

"_Hm?"_

"Are you sure about this Dawn? About marrying him again?" Dawn tried her best to ignore and not get herself angered at the obvious disproval in her mother's voice.

"No need to worry, mom! Of course I am! He loves me mom, really! He… he may not be the best at showing it sometimes, but he does mom… and I love him, too." Dawn defended, frowning at her mom who sighed in response. Dawn dug her fingers nails into the bouquet.

"_Tomorrow's our big day! Aren't you excited? After tomorrow everything will change!" A nineteen-year old Dawn chirped, swinging her fiancé's hand back and forth, back and forth._

Dawn sighed, turning back to the mirror in her dressing room. Staring back at her was a frowning blunette wearing a pearl white spaghetti strap dress with a V-shaped neckline that reached just above her knees. A simple wedding dress for her second marriage. Her hair was curled and she had matching triangular clips in her hair along with her wedding veil. She also wore an expensive diamond heart-shaped necklace – an apology gift from Paul.

"It's time for the wedding to start…" May whispered, glancing at her friend from the corner of her eyes. Her sapphire eyes were troubled; not because she doubted her friend's decision, but because she understood what Dawn was going through.

May had never been through it herself, but she could imagine how it must feel for Dawn with everybody doubting their second marriage will last, with everybody doubting Dawn's decision.

_Paul glanced at his fiancée, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. "Hn." He grunted in reply. "Of course…"_

Dawn took a deep breath, nervously stepping out from the dressing room to walk the winding road that led to the aisle she would be walking down. Walking down the aisle that led to where Paul was waiting.

'I am not making a mistake, I am not making a mistake,' Dawn repeated the words in her mind, squeezing her eyes shut tight for a few seconds as she took a couple of deep breaths. She reopened her eyes, continuing the silent chant in her mind.

'This is not a mistake; they are wrong, all wrong. I am not making a mistake; I am not making a mistake.'

"_There she is!" _A voice whispered.

All remained silent as Dawn began her walk down the aisle – alone and anxious.

'I am not making a mistake…'

'_Our marriage won't be a mistake, it will be heaven…' Dawn thought to herself, watching the drifting clouds as she snuggled up besides Paul. 'We'll make this marriage last and… we'll be together…'_

'I am not making a mistake, I am not making a mistake, they are all wrong…'

Dawn took another shaky breath before taking one step onto the gravelly aisle that led to her love one. 'I'm not making another mistake, this isn't a mistake, it's not…' She took one more shaky breath before looking up, feeling her heart melt.

'…_Forever… We'll live happily ever after, like in fairytales…'_

'This… is not a… mistake.'

Dawn's continued to clutch the banquet in her hands, squeezing the life from the stems whose only protection was the plastic that held the pale pink roses. Her heart jumped and an overjoyed smile appeared on her face, tears pricking her eyes.

'They are wrong… we are perfect for each other. We are meant to be.'

'…_And I'll show them, I'll show all of them who doubts us, that they are all wrong… I'll show them just how wrong they really are…' _

Dawn's heart dropped and then leaped with joy as the two joined hands, the banquet now given to Zoey, Dawn's maid of honor. Dawn's hand trembled in his so he gently squeezed her hands, staring into her eyes with an unusual tenderness. Dawn was literally holding back tears of joy.

'_They are all wrong…'_

"To have and to hold from this day forward…"

'_We'll overcome the obstacles in our way…'_

"…for better or for worse…"

'_We'll prove to them that we can make this work…'_

"…for richer for poorer…"

'_We'll show them all this wasn't another mistake…'_

"…in sickness and in health…"

'_I'll make them see just how much he means to me, and how much I mean to him…'_

"…to love and to cherish…"

'_Soon enough they will understand just how much we mean to each other… Soon enough they will realize that we really do love each other… I'll make them see…'_

"…till death do us part…"

'_Because I don't want anyone else, and he'll be the only one I want!'_

"I do."

_We do…_

* * *

_Another day, another fight…_

_They are still wrong though…_

_We are still together, and we still love each other…_

_They say we were making a mistake, but we weren't…_

_Life is filled with mistakes…_

_But…_

_We aren't a mistake._

_Our fights, our arguments, our disputes…_

_Our brawls, our disagreements, the night we spend away from each other…_

_They make us stronger._

_And we always come back…_

_Though we don't need to come back…_

_Because we were never apart…_

_We are one._

* * *

_(Two Years Later)_

Dawn sighed, about to return back home after yet another fight with Paul. They always fought over the same things. Their fights weren't as bad as before, but they were still fights. They always made up though. Sometimes Dawn would return home after running off to who-knows-where and apologize to Paul for the way she was acting; other times she would wake up to find him on the couch with her, waiting for her to wake up before apologizing.

They fight, they make up. They fight again but they always made up. That was one thing they could count on with their fights: in the end they would still be together because they know they love each other.

It doesn't matter what they say the night before because they know they didn't mean what they said – just a bunch of words with no meanings. That's all.

Dawn stopped; frowning as she spotted a crowd of bystanders huddled in the middle of a field.

"What's this?" Dawn muttered, walking towards the small grassy field to see why everybody was standing around there.

Dawn blinked.

Paul?

She narrowed her eyes, noticing a second person in the middle of the field, surrounded by the huddle of trainers and bystanders. The second person was a tall blond.

Cynthia – the champion of Sinnoh.

"Paul!" Dawn yelled.

Hearing her voice, Paul turned around. He smirked as he spotted her.

Cynthia followed his gaze, smiling as she noticed just who he was staring at. She knew Dawn was his wife and the mother of his two kids.

Cynthia's smile remained in place, even as she called out her first pokémon. "Let's go, Gastrodon!" Cynthia threw her poké ball with grace. Out of the poké ball came a pink sea slug pokémon with three eyes and a brown back with two brown horns that protruded the side of its head.

Paul smirked, knowing exactly which pokémon he would use. "Go Torterra!"

Dawn watched their battle, staying silent the whole time as her anxiety built up. She clasped her hand together, nervously twisting them as she watched the battle.

Cynthia and Paul's battle was a long, harsh battle with one beating the other's pokémon, and then the other defeating the other person's pokémon. Torterra had managed to defeat Gastrodon, while Torterra ended up being too exhausted to defeat Cynthia's lucario. And so the battle dragged on… a long, exhausting battle.

Now both Paul and Cynthia were down to their last pokémon.

Garchomp and Ursaring.

This one had been the longest battle so far. Slashes, roars, growls… hyper beams, focus blasts, secret power… dragon claw, dragon rush, brick break… On and on the battle dragged.

Ursaring looked extremely exhausted while Garchomp was only slightly panting, but otherwise looked as if it could continue battling for as long as it takes.

It looked as if Paul was about to lose…

"I think it's going to end up being another loss for him…" Dawn heard a boy mutter to a girl right next to him who nodded in agreement.

There was a lot of doubt about Paul winning… nearly everybody believed he would lose again.

Everybody but one: Dawn.

"He's not going to lose," Dawn scoffed, glaring at the brown-hair boy who had spoken earlier to a pinkette right next to him. "Paul will _win_."

"Yeah right…" The boy muttered with an eye roll, earning a fierce glare from Dawn along with a ferocious growl.

'Just watch and see… he'll win… I just know it…' Dawn thought to herself, glaring determinedly as she watched Paul as he commanded another hyper beam from Ursaring.

"GRAAAWWWRRR!" A blue-ish white, slightly transparent beam shot from his ursaring's mouth, heading straight for Cynthia's garchomp.

"Chommmp!" The pokémon grunted as it was hit with the powerful beam, flying back a few feet from the impact of the attack.

"GRAWWRR!" Ursaring smirked at the successful hit, a malicious glint in its night black eyes.

"Garchomp, are you okay?!"

"Gar!" The pokémon responded, managing to stand on its own.

"Use dragon rush, Garchomp!" Cynthia ordered.

"Garchomp!" The pokémon replied and within seconds its head along with the rest of its body was enveloped in a blue light as it charged with great speed at Ursaring.

"_There's no way he'll win. Cynthia will win yet again."_

"Quick, dodge it Ursaring!" Paul ordered the bear pokémon.

"Grawwwrr!" Ursaring just barely managed to miss the attack.

"Try again!" Cynthia yelled.

"Chomppp!" The land shark pokémon glared unwaveringly at Ursaring as it repeated the attack, charging at the large bear in the same blue light.

"_He'll lose. Just like the last three times."_

"GRAAWWRR!" Ursaring growled as Garchomp managed to strike its forearm, staggering back.

Paul decided to take Garchomp's closeness to his Ursaring's arms to his advantage. "Use hammer arm, Ursaring!"

"_He should just give up. Cynthia will just keep beating him and his pokémon."_

Both of Ursaring's forearms glowed white. "URRSARRRINGG!" The pokémon roared as it slammed both arms onto its opponent, knocking Garchomp into the ground with extreme force.

"_Do you think he will ever _–_"_

"Garrr…" Garchomp muttered weakly before collapsing.

The crowd was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop.

Dawn turned back to the boy and girl she was talking to earlier, a smirk of her own on her face as she said, "Told you he would win!"

Cynthia returned her fallen Garchomp, smiling kindly at Paul as she pocketed her pokémon as she walked to Paul. "Congratulations! I guess there's a new champion of Sinnoh."

"Paul!" Paul turned around just as Dawn threw her arms around him, grinning from ear to ear at him. "You did it! You beat Cynthia! I knew you could, I knew you would be able to do it!"

Paul smirked, wrapping his arms around the blue-hair girl's waist, pulling her closer to him as he whispered to her, "I only won because you were here."

…And just like that they made up.

* * *

_(Three Years Later)_

"I'm going to be honest, I feel as if I've been left in the dust when it comes to having children." Zoey confessed as she took a bite out of one of the cupcakes Dawn had made. "Misty has Shelly and Red, May has Rose and Emerald, and Dawn has Carly and Hiroki. I feel as if I'm behind with all of you having at least two babies."

"Hey, maybe you'll have twins." Dawn suggested, grinning at her best friend. "When are you due anyway, Zoey? Shouldn't you be due in about a month or so?"

"Three weeks." Zoey concluded.

"Ha. I still can't believe Dawn was right on when she said May was already pregnant about three years ago. Remember that bet we made Dawn?"

Dawn smirked as she replied, "Four months later and even when it was obvious May was pregnant, May still refused to take a pregnancy test and refused to believe she was really pregnant." Dawn cracked up laughing as she said this.

May flushed red as she stammered, "H-Hey! For all I knew I could have just been gaining a few pounds! B-Besides, I wanted to prove you guys wrong!"

"Yeah, but you didn't prove us wrong!" Misty said slyly, smirking at the brunette.

May flushed a deeper red, exclaiming defensively, "And we still weren't doing _that_ our whole honeymoon!"

Misty rolled her eyes as she replied slyly, "Sure… whatever you say May…"

"Anyway, I think Zoey's baby is going to be a female!" May said chirpily, eagerly changing the topic.

"Why do you think that?" Zoey questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Because mine, Misty's and Dawn's first child was a girl!" May exclaimed exuberantly. "So why not your first child be a girl?"

Zoey was about to reply why it could also be a boy but was interrupted as Drew walked into the room. "Emmy!" May shrieked happily, holding out her arms as Drew handed her their second daughter, Emerald.

"You four better not be talking about me." Drew muttered as he flipped his chartreuse hair with one hand while cradling Rose, their first daughter, with one hand. Though May was as cheerful and energetic as usual, Drew was less arrogant and had bags under his eyes. Having two kids to watch after had really taken its toll on Drew.

"Of course not Drewy!" May chirped, pressing Emerald gently against her chest, smiling down at her brown-haired, green-eyed daughter. Drew narrowed his eyes at his nickname 'Drewy'. "We're just talking about girl stuff like usual!"

"Ooh! I like your outfit, May!" Dawn said suddenly. "It looks sort of like that outfit you wore when I first met you!"

May grinned, standing up to show off her outfit which was an orange tank top with a zipper going down the middle and short beige shorts. Along with her outfit she wore her old green bandanna. It was mainly just the tank top and the bandanna that reminded Dawn of May's old outfit though.

"Well, I thought this tank top looked cute so I decided to buy it, and—"

"Hey Dawn, where's Paul?" Zoey interrupted. May frowned as she was interrupted by Zoey, furrowing her eyebrows together in a pouty way. "I hadn't seem him here at all the last three days we've been here." Zoey furrowed her eyebrows together worriedly as she asked, "Did you two get in another fight?"

"_Another?" _Dawn asked, crossing her arms over the ebony black button-up t-shirt she wore with a sour expression her face. "What do you mean another? We hadn't fought since he became champion and that was what? A year ago?"

"Sorry I asked…" Zoey muttered. "I'm sorry, Dawn. I didn't mean to offend you; I was just wondering why we haven't seen Paul here in the last few days when this _is_ his house."

"He had an important meeting he had to go to," Dawn muttered honestly. She continued to frown as she continued, "He's not going to be back for another month."

"Wow…" Zoey breathed.

"This meeting must be big… or something," Misty commented.

"Is it one of those 'Champion' meetings he has to go to at least once a month?" May questioned. "Because, wow… one whole month? What is he doing at that meeting that he has to be gone for one whole _month_?"

Dawn shrugged. "He didn't tell me."

"Now you know how I feel with Ash being gone for a month, challenging the current champion of Kanto." Misty stated sadly, smiling sympathetically at Dawn. "While they go pursue their dreams we're stuck at home as housewives."

Dawn smiled weakly at the carrot top. "Eh… Paul watches the kids too sometimes so I could go challenge a few contests. I actually have enough ribbons to challenge the Grand Festival."

"Oh. Well… I guess I'm the only housewife then…" Misty muttered. "Not that I care too much - I mean, I still get to train my pokémon, and as a bonus I don't have to watch the Cerulean gym anymore!"

"Well, I should go." Zoey said, standing up with one hand on her back to help support her. "Kenny wants to go 'baby shopping'."

"You don't even know what the gender is yet." Dawn chuckled.

"We're going to be buying unisex clothing." Zoey explained, making her way to the door as she waved. "Bye!"

"I should go too," Misty agreed. "I'll go check up on the kids and the babysitter, see how she's holding up. Bye you two!"

"We should go too, May." Drew agreed tiredly.

"Well, I guess we should… After all, Drew needs to catch up on his beauty sleep!" May whispered the last part to Dawn with a giggle. "Drew is not nearly as arrogant as he use to be!" May teased Drew, poking him in the chest.

Drew smirked, replying haughtily, "Just wait until tomorrow May when I catch up on my 'beauty sleep'. By the way, I don't need beauty sleep - I happen to be blessed when it comes to my 'beauty'. Don't you agree, May?"

May blushed, giggling in response. "Bye Dawn! I'll see you tomorrow if you want!"

Dawn waved goodbye, smiling weakly as she did. When she heard the door closed she sighed exhaustively, collapsing dramatically on the white leather couch.

She lied when she told them the last time she had a fight with Paul was before he became champion. It was almost the truth, but not quite. They had a fight the night he announced he would be going away for a month.

Like always, the fight wasn't as extreme as it use to be, but there was a lot more shouting than usual.

"This is my fault…" Dawn mumbled out loud. "I should have just accepted he would be going away for a month."

Dawn sighed, throwing her legs over the couch's cushion as she sat up straight. She glanced around the empty house, her eyes stopping on a calendar on the opposite wall. She stood up, walking up to the calendar until she was only a foot away.

_**June 28**_

The 28th of June was circled in red marker. June 28th was the day of the Grand Festival, but it was also the wedding date of their first and second wedding. All in all, the day was important to Dawn.

But Paul would be gone that day.

And the worse thing was… he didn't even remember what was so special about that date…

"_But you're going to be gone on the twenty-eighth of June!" Dawn whined, crossing her arms stubbornly as she glared at her husband who was continuing to pack as he got ready for his meeting in Johto._

"_So? I don't remember anything special about that day," Paul snapped back as he slammed his suitcase shut. "I'm sorry Dawn, but I have to attend this meeting, and I'm going to be gone for a month. That's just the way it is."_

"_You don't have to go!" Dawn insisted, balling her fists up by her side, stubbornly holding back her desperate tears._

_June 28th meant so much to her…_

"_I'm sorry Dawn… but I'm going. I'm the champion of Sinnoh, and I have to go to this meeting. It's important." Paul replied back, shoving his suitcase to the side. He turned to Dawn, his eyes cold and serious._

"_Well, fine! If it's more important than me, then just go!" Dawn screamed. "Forget I even said anything because you're right! There is NOTHING important about June 28th! So just go the meeting, obviously it's more important than me!"  
_

Dawn sighed again in her mind. "I should have just shut my mouth and said nothing…" she whispered, her tears returning as they burned her eyes.

"_That's exactly what I'm going to do!" Paul yelled back, glaring intensely at her. "I'm going to go to the meeting whether you want me to or not! Your thoughts aren't going to stop me from going!"_

"I hate this…" Dawn said out loud, hugging her knees close to her as she rested her chin on them. "I hate it when we fight… and I hate it even more when I know he's in another region at the moment… Why couldn't I have just…?" Dawn sighed again, burying her head in her knees.

_Seething with anger, Dawn stomped out of the room, making sure to slam loudly behind her._

"I just have to ruin everything… He could have went to the region without us fighting… without me picking a fight…" Dawn told herself, frowning as she watched a tear leak from her eye and spill on her bare leg.

"_Mommy?"_

"_C-Carly? Wh-what are you doing up, sweetie? I… I thought you were asleep?" Dawn stuttered, taking her five-year old daughter's hand as she led her back to her room._

"_Why are you and daddy fighting?" Carly questioned, her big blue eyes sad and upset by the idea of her mommy and daddy fighting._

"_It… It's complicated…" Dawn muttered, tucking Carly into bed._

_Carly cocked her head, her long purple curls falling to the side. "Is… is daddy leaving?" The girl whimpered, hugging her stuffed toy piplup as she waited for her mommy to answer._

_Dawn's eyes widened. "N-No! He's not leaving, Carly! Well… he is, but not for the reason you think!"_

"_Then why is he leaving?"_

_Dawn sighed, rubbing her temples exhaustively. "Well, you know your daddy's the champion, right? Well, you see, since he's champion of Sinnoh he sometimes have to go to these meetings… sometimes these meeting takes hours, some takes days, other takes… weeks. Or even, months."_

"_Daddy's gonna come back though, right?" _

"_Of course… why wouldn't he?" Dawn whispered, kissing her daughter's forehead. Dawn smiled sadly at her daughter, whispering, "Good night." before shutting off the light._

**x.X.x**

June 27th.

Paul couldn't help but feel as if something was missing…

_June 28th…_

Tomorrow was June 28th, the day Dawn was talking about, the day seemed most upset about him being gone on.

He knew there was a reason… there was always a reason… there _must_ be a reason.

"June twenty-eighth…" Paul muttered, staring at the clock in the hotel room he was renting for the month.

On August 20th he would be out of here; the meeting would be done.

In Paul's honest opinion, he just couldn't see why he needed to be at the meeting for one whole month. In his opinion, the discussion they were having at the meeting wasn't even _worth_ traveling to Johto for.

Of course, that was _his_ opinion.

Paul sighed, turning on his other side, now staring at the wall that the bed was against. There was a buzzing in Paul's pocket as his phone vibrated.

He flipped open his phone, a text message appearing on the screen.

'_I'm sorry'_ It said.

Paul smiled as he saw who it was from.

Dawn.

'_I'm sorry too' _He replied back.

Dawn replied back with a smiley face.

Paul smirked at the smiley face as he flipped the phone close. A few seconds later after staring at the white-painted ceiling of the hotel room, he flipped the phone back open, texting:

'_Why is June 28 so important?' _Paul was not the type of guy to use spelling shortcuts when it came to texting. Like replacing 'Why' with 'Y'.

A minute passed by and Paul found himself growing impatient.

Finally she replied back:

'_Oh… no reason.'_

Paul frowned at the message, flipping his phone back close.

A memory tugged at the back of his mind, teasing him with the knowledge that it refused to completely reveal to him, allowing him to solve the jigsaw puzzle.

Eventually slumber overcame him and he drifted into a light sleep, past memories of June 28th coming to mind…

_Laughs and giggles that belongs to Dawn as she chased after a politoed in her wedding dress. More laughs and more giggles from the same person as she blew bubbles, grinning widely like a five year old who was captivated by the sphere-shaped film. _

"_Is the cake good?" Dawn asked, giggling as she piled up more cake on the plastic fork as she fed Paul the purple-and-blue frosted cake._

_Paul nodded, swallowing the cake and this time shoving a fork filled with cake in her mouth. Dawn laughed, cake crumbs spilling from her mouth and onto her fancy strapless snow-white wedding dress and onto the dress's sequins. Dawn laughed harder, her eyes twinkling in happiness. She shoved more cake in Paul's mouth before giving him a peck on the cheek._

_Soon enough Dawn's attention was on the couples who were dancing with each other to the beat of the music "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. All of her friends were laughing as they danced with their partner, grinning widely just like Dawn._

"_C'mon! Let's dance!" Dawn chirped, grabbing Paul's hand as she pulled him to where everybody else was dancing._

_Just as they got there the music switched from "Complicated" to "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse._

"_**I'm desperate for changing**_

_**Starving for truth**_

_**I'm closer to where I started**_

_**I'm chasing after you"**_

_Paul grunted as Dawn swung her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, awkwardly following her every step as she led the dance which was mostly them twirling in circles._

"_**I'm falling even more in love with you**_

_**Letting go of all I've held onto**_

_**I'm standing here until you make me move**_

_**I'm hanging by a moment here with you"**_

"_This day couldn't be any more perfect…" she whispered as she buried her head in his chest, sighing contently as a smile graced her lips. _

_Paul's lip twitched upward, his eyes going soft as he danced with the girl in his arms, burying his nose in her sweet-smelling hair as he inhaled her strawberry scent._

_Though he wouldn't say it to her out loud, he couldn't agree any more than he already did._

_This night was perfect…_

Paul turned over on his side, blinking as his eyes fought against the sun's harsh light that filled the window. He stood up in bed, stretching his limbs as he recalled his dream.

The dream was pretty much a huge memory from his and Dawn's first wedding - when she chased a politoed, when she was blowing bubbles everywhere, when they were feeding other cake, and when they danced… and much more.

_June 28th._

Paul blinked as he remembered why it was important.

The date of their first wedding…

But also the date of their second wedding which was two years ago.

"_Well, fine! If it's more important than me, then just go!" Dawn screamed. "Forget I even said anything because you're right! There is NOTHING important about June 28__th__! So just go the meeting, obviously it's more important than me!"_

Paul literally wanted to slam his head into a wall. He groaned, sighing into his hands. He glanced out the window, thinking to himself.

"Surely Lance and the members of the Elite Four won't miss a cold-hearted jerk like me…" He mumbled to himself, tossing on a fresh pair of pants and a shirt, then shrugging on his jacket. "Nope, I'm pretty sure they won't."

**x.X.x.**

"I miss daddy…" Carly mumbled, poking at her syrup-drenched pancakes with a fork before finally just tearing a piece off and stuffing it in her mouth.

Dawn sighed, rolling her eyes at her five-year old daughter with a sad grin as she took another bite out of her scrambled eggs.

Suddenly the front door opened and slammed shut as somebody entered the household.

Dawn blinked. "Huh?" Dawn blinked again, blinking a few more times when she couldn't believe what her eyes were showing her.

"Daddy!" Carly shrieked, rushing into her father's arms as she wrapped her arms around his torso the best her small arms would allow.

"Hey Carly…" Paul greeted with a small smile as he hugged his daughter back before picking her up and swinging her around a couple of times before setting her back on the ground.

"Heehee…" Carly giggled as she dizzily stood up, hugging her dad's legs now.

"Paul?" Dawn said in disbelief. "What are you doing home? I-I thought you were going to be gone for another three weeks!"

Paul turned his attention away from his daughter and turned them on Dawn. "What?" He asked blankly. "You didn't think I actually forgot that today was our anniversary, did you?"

Dawn grinned, her chest filling up with happiness like a balloon being filled with air. "You remembered!" she squealed, clasping her hands together.

"Of course." Paul said with a slight smirk.

"What's an anniversary?" Carly questioned eagerly.

"A special day for your mommy and me." Paul replied back, shoving his hands in his jacket's pockets.

"Ooooh!"

"I thought you actually forgot!" Dawn said to Paul with a small sigh of relief She grinned as she continued, "Well, now that you're here, you could watch me kick butt in the Grand Festival!"

"Mm." Paul agreed, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "And then after its done and you win we can celebrate by having a little 'fun'…" He whispered to her.

Dawn pulled away from Paul and then shoved him playfully away, replying with a scoff and a sly grin as she said, "Please! After you had me actually believing you forgot our wedding anniversary, don't think you're gonna get lucky so easily!"

Paul rolled his eyes, still smirking as Dawn went back to finish her scrambled eggs.

* * *

_(Five Years Later)_

"When I become a trainer I'm gonna get a piplup!" Carly chirped to her younger brother Hiroki, munching on a donut as she told her brother everything she planned to do when she was a trainer. "I'm gonna become both a trainer and a coordinator, win a Grand Festival like mommy, and maybe even become a gym leader! I doubt I would be able to beat daddy out of his job as a champion…"

"Why get a piplup though? I would go for the tough pokémon! Like turtwig would evolve into a torterra like daddy has!"

"Not everybody goes after power like you plan to Hiroki!" Carly snapped back. "Pokémon are also our friends who we should treat with respect, not just as power tools!"

"Mommy says Daddy use to treat his pokémon that way, and look where he got…" Hiroki muttered sourly as he took a bite out of his toast.

"That's different though, Hiroki," Dawn began to explain. "Daddy _use_ to treat his pokémon that way, but now he's kinder to them. After he started treating them kinder and with more respect, he became champion."

"See." Carly grinned, sticking her tongue out at her younger brother. "I may also get a chimchar too, though. They're cute and powerful, even after they evolve!"

"Piplups are cute and powerful, too." Dawn chimed in with a laugh. She smiled at her daughter and her son, her azure eyes glittering.

So far Carly was optimistic and confident just like her along with outgoing, but she also had Paul's indifferent attitude towards certain things, especially her brother when he got her mad and things she disliked. She is also level-headed in tough situations Dawn noticed. Dawn also often found sketches of dresses and outfits Carly had design in notebooks, just like she use to when she was younger. Her daughter had that enthusiastic and creative but calm and level-headed flare to her.

Meanwhile, Hiroki was a lot like Paul. He looked up to his father and loved hearing stories about him, often saying he was going to become a champion like his dad, too, someday. So far he seems to have a taste for strong pokémon, saying that one day he'll capture a rhyperior, a lucario, and train a charizard. Like both his mom and dad he is determined to do his best and win (often getting frustrated when he and Dawn are playing a game of scramble and he can't think of a word to make). He is also extremely over-confident at times but chooses not to dwell on his mistakes, being the five-year old he is.

Both kids had a mixture of their parents in them, but while Carly was more like her mother, Hiroki was more like his father.

Right now Carly wore a periwinkle colored t-shirt with a black button-up vest and short black shorts. Hiroki wore basically the same outfit as Paul did when he was eleven but with a blue-version of Paul's usual jacket.

"Hey, where's daddy?" Hiroki questioned. As if on cue, Paul walked out of the hall way, hand shoved in his lavender and dark navy blue jacket, an indifferent expression on his face like usual.

"Right there." Dawn replied with a giggle. Dawn walked out of the kitchen, greeting Paul with a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning!"

Paul grunted in reply, giving a quick nod of his head. He gave Dawn a quick peck on the cheek as he brushed pass her to receive a slice of toast.

"I only have to wait two more years now to get my starter pokémon daddy!" Carly chirped from her seat as she took another bite out of her donut, sprinkles falling off the donut and unto her periwinkle shirt and the floor.

"Aah." Paul nodded as he covered the front half of the toast with butter. "Today's your birthday, isn't it?"

Carly frowned. "Yeah! It is! Why? You didn't forget, did you?" Carly furrowed her eyebrows together, upset at the idea of her own father forgetting her birthday.

Paul smirked. "No, I didn't forget. If I forgot, you wouldn't have gotten any presents because I would have forgot to buy you some."

"So…" Carly trailed on, batting her eyelashes to emphasize her cuteness. She twisted her hands together, grinning from ear to ear as she asked, "Where _are _my presents?"

"They are in the closet, but you aren't opening them until you finish your breakfast." Dawn told her daughter sternly with a small smile. "That was the rule when I was a kid: breakfast first, present later."

"Well, my rule for birthdays would be that you get an even bigger appetite after opening presents." Carly remarked.

Paul narrowed his eyes at his eight-year old daughter while Dawn just laughed. "You're a smart mouth aren't you?"

Carly shrugged, smiling that innocent little girl smile of hers.

"Actually, lets go some place first before you open your present, Carly." Carly's eyes widened at her dad's words, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Ooh! Where are we going, daddy?" Carly pouted at her dad when he shook his head. "Pleaaaase?" Her eyes widened, going watery as she made her pout even bigger, sniffing for effect.

Paul rolled his eyes, a small smirk gracing his features. "You are just like your mom…" Paul muttered.

"Can I go too?" Hiroki pleaded, doing the same trick Carly was currently doing on him. Looks like Hiroki also inherited Dawn's puppy pout…

Carly grimaced, sticking her small tongue out at her younger brother. "No way! It's my birthday, not yours!"

"Daddy, pleaaaase?" Hiroki pleaded some more, ignoring his older sister who was currently whining to her dad about the unfairness of it all.

"It can be educational to your brother." Paul shrugged. "Besides, if Hiroki comes too mommy can come." At the mention of her mom, Carly just shrugged, accepting the fact that Hiroki would be coming with them.

"Fine…" Carly grumbled, jumping off the barstool with a loud _screeeeech! _and jumped on her dad's back.

Paul grunted at the sudden extra weight on his back. "Now lets go!" Carly chirped. "So… where are we going again?"

"You'll see. Now get off with my back or you aren't going." Paul told Carly sternly before locking up the house.

"Where are we going?" Dawn asked as soon as the two kids were in the car and out of ear-shot.

"The Amity Park in Hearthome…" Paul answered her.

"Ah."

A little less than fifteen minutes later, the parents and their two kids arrived at the Hearthome's Amity Park. The four were led in immediately by a brunette with purple eyes who recognized Paul as the champion and Dawn as a Grand Festival winner.

"Oh! This place is so pretty…" Carly admired the well-kept grass and the beautiful pond that sparkled like glitter in the sunlight. She watched with amazement as magikarps began to jump and flip in the pond.

"Torr…" Torterra grunted, beginning to lay in a patch of sunlight.

"Pachi pachi pachi!" Dawn's hyperactive pachirisu began to chirp as it ran all over the place, earning a few sweat drops from nearby trainers who watched the electric squirrel cautiously from the corner of their eyes.

Carly giggled at the pokémon.

"When you do become a trainer what pokémon do you want to get?" Dawn asked her daughter curiously, all the while keeping an eye on Pachirisu who had just found a nomel berry she was nibbling on.

"Well, I want cute pokémon that I can use for when I enter contests, and strong pokémon like Daddy's torterra and magmortar for pokémon battles." Carly started, thinking of the pokémon she wanted.

She started to name a few. "For cute pokémon I would like a Leafeon, a Cherubi and a Chatot! Meanwhile for strong pokémon I would like a Luxray, an Abomasnow and um…" Carly named a few of the other pokémon names she knew in her head. "Oh! And a Drapion maybe!"

"How about you Hiroki?" Paul turned to his son as he asked this question.

Hiroki grinned, reminding Paul of Dawn. Despite Hiroki being more like him, Hiroki was still like Dawn in many ways, often reminding him of her - especially when he smiled or grinned.

"Lets see… I want to someday capture a Lucario, Charizard, Garchomp, a Sceptile, maybe a Blaziken, also a Rampardos and a Bastiodon, and lets see… what other pokémon are strong?"

Dawn chuckled warmly at her son. She ruffled his hair, causing the young five-year old to scowl in embarrassment.

"Pachi pachi pachi!" Pachirisu began to run around a tree while chasing it's tail. "PACHI!" It began to snooze under one of the park's tree, becoming bored from chasing it's tail over and over.

Dawn sweat dropped at her pokémon.

"Oh! I also want a pachirisu, too!" Carly chirped.

"It's nice to get out of the house once in a while!" Dawn said merrily to Paul, smiling happily as she watched her pachirisu snooze under a tree, it's tail curled around it's body, and saw Torterra sunbathing in a patch of sunlight. Dawn giggled at the continent pokémon.

Paul nodded in agreement. A smirk began to tug on his lip as he watched Carly pet the snoozing pachirisu while Hiroki was observing Torterra, rambling on about everything he knew about the pokémon and their pre-evolutions to his mother.

Another thing Hiroki has in common with Dawn that isn't a physical trait: they were both pretty talkative, though Hiroki was only talkative when it came to his knowledge about pokémon or was trying to prove somebody wrong on something. Meanwhile Dawn was talkative whether it was about coordinating, fashion, her pokémon or anything else.

Carly narrowed her eyes at her talkative brother. "Sheesh Hiroki, you talk more than maybe does!" Hiroki began to glare at her as she said this. She shrugged, saying, "What? You are talking more than her."

Somehow Dawn was reminded of Paul when she said this.

Hiroki scoffed. "Well, at least I'm not anti-social like _you_!"

"Just because I prefer to keep my nose out of other people's business doesn't make me anti-social!" Carly screeched back. "Besides, I like it better when it's _quiet_ and I don't have to hear _your _voice!" Carly sneered.

"If you don't like getting into other people's business, why do get in mine?" Hiroki replied back coldly, his glare matching his older sister's glare.

"Because you are my little brother, that's why." Carly replied back, sticking her nose up in the air snootily as she went back to petting pachirisu who was surprisingly still sleeping.

"Kids…" Dawn said with a giggle. "Were you and Reggie like that when you were kids?" Dawn glanced up at Paul.

He shook his head. "No. Reggie is six years older than me and so when I was barely five Reggie had already been on his journey for a year."

"Oh." Dawn frowned. "Oh yeah… I forgot Reggie is six years older than you." She locked arms with Paul, sighing as she leaned onto Paul's shoulder.

"We should probably be going soon…" Dawn said after a while. She checked her pokétch, the same one from her youth. "It's almost twelve now."

Paul nodded. "Carly! Hiroki! It's time to go!" Paul called as he returned his Torterra, Dawn doing the same with pachirisu who had just woken up and was running all over the park again.

"Arrgh… Stay still…" Dawn grumbled as she shot the red beam from her poké ball all over the place, struggling to return pachirisu. Finally though she managed to get the darn pachirisu back in it's poké ball.

Carly grinned as she and Hiroki began to race out of the park and into their parent's car – only to find it locked.

Dawn grinned widely while Paul only allowed a small smirk as their two kids began calling their names, all the while pounding on the car's window.

Kids…

_Their_ kids…

* * *

_(Ten Years Later)_

"I can't believe Hiroki is going on his pokémon journey already…" Dawn whispered, feeling tears come to her eyes as she watched Hiroki get ready for his journey.

_He looks so much like his dad… _Dawn thought to herself, memories of when she first started her journey and when she first met Paul resurfacing to her mind. Dawn sniffed twice, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand.

Hiroki looked up from his backpack which he was currently putting his clothes in, noticing the sad look his mother was giving him. "No need to worry, mom! I'm going to be just fine." Hiroki reassured his mother, rolling his ocean blue eyes at his mother's emotional state.

Despite the loneliness she felt at having another one of her kids starting a journey of their own, Dawn couldn't help but crack a smile at her son using her infamous catchphrase. "Yeah… no need to worry…" Dawn sniffed.

Just as Paul walked into the room, the front door opened. A girl with long lavender hair that reached her mid-back and with the ocean blue eyes as her mother and brother walked in, wearing a black button-up t-shirt over a white undershirt, short blue jean shorts and white knee-high socks with black sneakers. In her hair there was three triangular clips and a black beret that was on her head.

A girl with black hair that was kept in a side ponytail trailed behind the girl. This girl wore a familiar jacket that her father had once wore when he started out as a trainer and had received his electric rodent, and a sleeveless rose pink crop top and black suspenders with dark blue short shorts and ankle-high socks with the same kind of sneakers as the other girl. The girl also had her father's warm chocolate brown eyes. She also wore black fingerless gloves.

"Carly?" Dawn smiled at her daughter. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to say hi!" Carly chirped. She then turned to her brother, smiling at her younger brother. "Also I um, wanted to see which starter pokémon Hiroki would get…"

Hiroki stopped packing his bags to glance up at his older sister. "I'm going to get a chimchar." He announced.

Carly frowned. "Why? Because dad had one?"

Hiroki shrugged, replying honestly, "I just want to get a pokémon that mom or dad didn't get as a starter, that's all…"

"How many badges do you have?" Paul questioned his daughter.

"Seven!" Carly chirped, pleased with herself. "And I plan to head off to Sunyshore tomorrow to challenge Volkner! And I also have five ribbons, enough to get into the Grand Festival!"

Paul nodded. Though he didn't show it, he was proud of his daughter. Of course, his daughter, turning out to be more like him then he originally thought, knew he was proud of her even if he didn't voice it out loud.

"That's great!" Dawn told her daughter, wiping away more tears from her eyes.

"  
Oh! And I forgot to tell you the other night when I was talking to you mom, but I caught a new pokémon too!" Carly informed her parents, reaching for a poké ball clipped to her shorts.

"Time for the show to start, Froslass!" Was Carly's cry, mainly used when she was in a pokémon contest. Suddenly a white pokémon that appeared to be wearing a kimono with two ice crystals on top of it head, purple skin being seen under a few holes on the pokémon's face materialized in front of them.

This is Carly's ninth pokémon, Dawn thought to herself, staring in amazement at the pokemon. Of course, her smile at her daughter widened. Carly's other eight pokémon included her starter pokémon turtwig which had eventually evolved into a powerful Torterra like Paul's. Her other seven pokémon were a Luxray, a Chatot she traded with a boy for her Buizel, a Cherrim, a Leafeon, a Crobat, a Smoochum which recently evolved into a Jynx, and finally, a Mantyke that had just recently hatched from an egg.

Most of them she was able to use in both her contests and gym battles. While the pokemon gave breath-taking appeals Carly also trains them every day so they are strong enough to compete and win against gym leaders.

"I caught it once I entered Snowpoint city and then I used it to help me beat Candice's pokémon along with Jynx and Crobat. I also used it in my appeal round which helped me earn my last ribbon."

"What moves does it know?" Paul queried out of curiosity.

"Ominous wind, confuse ray, ice beam and shadow ball!" Carly replied, staring with admiration at her Froslass.

Paul blinked at the pokémon. If he was still a traveling trainer and he had come across and captured the pokémon, he most likely would've kept it with a set of attacks like that. Three of the four attacks were pretty common, but also powerful and can be useful in their own way to help win the battle. For example, confuse way can confuse the opponent while ice bream can freeze the opponent.

"Hey, mom, would it be okay if I cooked a few poffins? I can make some for your pokémon too, if you would like." Carly offered.

"Sure, go ahead sweetie!" Dawn replied cheerfully, suddenly in the mood to cook some poffins too. "I'll help!"

For the first time, Paul acknowledged the other girl in the house, not noticing her at first. "You're Ash's daughter, aren't you?"

The girl appeared startled at first, but quickly regained her composure. "Yeah, I'm the daughter of the Champion in Kanto…" Shelly told him. "You were dad's rival when he was traveling in the Sinnoh region, right?"

"Hn. So I'm guessing your dad told you about me." Paul grunted.

The girl grinned, a grin that reminded Paul of Ash for a brief second. "Yeah-huh. He's always ranting about you being all mean to your pokemon, but according to Carly you're like a big teddy bear." She shrugged as she continued, "But my mom tells me not to take my dad seriously, so I don't."

"At least your mom has some sense…" Paul grumbled to himself.

"You shouldn't take your dad seriously, just because he couldn't beat my dad when he was ten." Hiroki scoffed scornfully.

Shelly narrowed her chocolate colored eyes at the boy, a vein popping in her head. "What'd you say, kid?!" Shelly shrieked, holding a familiar mallet behind her back.

"Shelly!" Carly called from the other room, poking her head out from behind a kitchen cabinet. "Wanna help me and my mom make poffins? You can make some for your own pokémon!"

"Sure! I'll help!" Shelly chirped, forgetting her anger towards her best friend's brother immediately.

Hiroki rolled his eyes.

Paul turned his eyes on his son sternly. "You're going to be a real womanizer if you keep pissing off girls like you did Ash's daughter."

"Hey, I heard from mom that you forgot who she was after she stopped you and Ash from arguing. I also heard from Carly who heard from Roark that she almost kicked you in the face for forgetting her too." Hiroki defended as he continued to pack his clothes.

Paul smirked as he recalled the memory.

"Oh! Paul!" Dawn called from the kitchen.

Paul's eyebrows furrowed together. "What is it?" He asked, turning to his wife who was in the kitchen, a bit of poffin batter on her cheek.

"I forgot to tell you, but May and Drew are coming over." She announced, drying her hands with a dish towel. "They will also be bringing Rose, Emerald and Hayden since their usual babysitter is on vacation."

"Great…" Paul muttered. He was not in the mood for company.

Paul sighed, rubbing his temples to soothe the headache he had just got at the thought of May, Drew _and_ their children coming over when Ash's daughter was already over with his own daughter.

He glanced around the room. At least they live in a mansion which means that the living room and dining room would be big enough to hold all the company they would have.

"And I also invited Kenny and Zoey and their son, Benny, to come over. Is that okay with you?" Paul sighed again, his headache worsening.

"Yeah, it's fine…" Paul grumbled, continuing to rub his temples as he took a seat by the counter. "When will they be here?"

"Well, lets see…" Dawn said thoughtfully. "Zoey and Kenny said they would be here by twelve o'clock, just in time for lunch, which is in less than fifteen minutes. And May and Drew only live about two blocks away, so they'll probably be here—"

The door bell rang, interrupting Dawn.

"Of course, right now…" Dawn mumbled, wiping her cheek as she realized there was poffin batter on it. "I'll get the door." She muttered, hurrying off to let in her five guests.

Five guests… plus three more guests to come… Paul thought grumpily to himself.

No, he wasn't the fondest of company.

"Hey Dawn!" May greeted. "We haven't talked in… forever!" May laughed as she hugged her blunette friend.

"We talked last weekend, May." Dawn giggled, hugging the brunette back.

Dawn grinned, smiling at the four year old who was holding his father's hand, having his mother's chestnut color hair but his father's emerald green eyes.

"Hey Hayden!" Dawn greeted the boy. The boy smiled as a result but said nothing, just continuing to suck his thumb.

"Hey, where are you going?" A girl with chartreuse color hair and sapphire blue eyes questioned Hiroki, frowning at the boy as she watched him pack a photograph of his family.

"None of your business." Hiroki snapped at the girl.

The girl was Rose, May and Drew's first daughter. They had decided to name the girl Rosalina but called her Rose for short because of Drew's 'obsession' with giving May roses. The girl had her dad's hair and her mother's eye color, but her hairstyle was similar to her Grandma's, Caroline Maple, wife of the great gym leader, Norman. Rose wore a rose-colored spaghetti dress with a forest green shrug and pink flats that matched her dress. She also had a rose-color bow in her hair.

"Well, excuse me!" The girl huffed, flipping her bangs. Her eyes lit back up though as she caught site of a poké ball in his backpack.

"Oh! You're going on a pokémon journey aren't you?" She chirped. "Are you going to be a coordinator or a trainer?"

Hiroki narrowed his eyes at the nine-year old girl who smiled innocently back at him. He glanced at his parents, his mom currently chatting to the girl's mom while his dad was talking about Arceus-knows-what with her dad.

"Yes, I'm going on a pokémon journey," Hiroki admitted, annoyed at the girl interrupting him and his packing. "Now would you leave me alone!"

"You know you don't have to so rude!" The girl snapped back, puffing out her cheeks as she stomped away. After realizing she didn't want to join her parents at the table just yet, Rose began to explore the house some - she stayed strictly in the living room area though, not wanting to get in trouble for snooping in any of the rooms.

"Wow…" Rose breathed as she saw the many ribbons and polished badges that hung for display near the front of the living room. Her eyes went wide and she breathed another 'wow' as her eyes landed on a Ribbon Cup.

_Somebody here won the Grand Festival! _Rose thought in amazement to herself. _Just like my mom and dad! _She added cheerfully in her mind.

Hiroki smirked as he saw Rose goggling his mom's Ribbon Cup, then as she goggled some more at a trophy his dad won for winning a pokémon league.

"Impressive, huh?" He asked. "My dad won that trophy at a pokémon league a few years before he became champion, and my mom won that Ribbon Cup you were just looking at.

Rose turned towards him, tilting her head to the side. She furrowed her eyebrows together, puffing out her cheeks as she said, "Yeah, sure! _Now_ you talk to me!"

"Fine, if you don't want to 'talk' then I'll be going." Hiroki said to the girl, sticking his hands in his jacket as he began to walk away.

"Uh… wait!" Hiroki smirked. "Um, which pokémon are you going to get, for um, your starter?" She asked timidly.

"Chimchar." Hiroki stated, turning around to face the girl. He blinked uninterestedly at the girl, muffling a yawn.

"Chimchars are cute," Rose commented. She smirked smugly though as she flipped her hair again, telling the boy, "But my mom's skitty is _waaay _cuter!"

"So?" Hiroki shrugged.

The chartreuse-haired girl's jaw dropped open in disbelief. A vein appeared on her forehead as she pouted at him. She turned on her heel, crossing her arms in front of her as she stomped away.

"Who doesn't like cute pokémon?!" The girl muttered under her breath, glaring straight ahead.

Hiroki smirked in amusement at the girl's reaction before packing the last of the stuff he would need for his journey.

"Hm? What's wrong, Rose?" Rose's younger sister, Emerald, or as her parents call her, "Emmy" or "Emma", questioned as she noticed her older sister approaching.

Emerald looked just like her mom did when she was ten, but of course Emerald was two years younger than May was when she started her journey. She also had her dad's green eyes. She wore a similar outfit to rose but wore an apple green dress with thicker straps and a matching bow and flats, but didn't wear any shrug with the dress.

"Oh, nothing's wrong…" Rose muttered unconvincingly, taking a seat right next to her dad as she pouted and glared at the oak table.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

"Zoey! Kenny!" Dawn greeted as she let her two rivals-slash-friends in, hugging them both. She stopped to say gush over Zoey's and Kenny's six year old son, Benny, who had his mom's bright orange hair but his dad's dark eyes.

"Long time no see, DeeDee!" Kenny laughed, clapping his old childhood on the back good-heartedly.

"You're just in time for lunch!" Dawn announced happily.

"We can tell," Zoey laughed. "With poffin batter all over your face!"

Dawn blushed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "Haha… yeah… well, um, how about you to come inside?" Dawn led her to friends inside the house, sitting them next to each other, right next to May and Drew.

_Xx.((Later)).xX_

Dawn sighed dramatically as she flopped down on the couch, burying her head in her hands as she sighed again. Paul turned towards his wife, frowning as he asked, "What's wrong?"

Dawn looked up to smile sadly at Paul. "Nothing… I was just remembering…"

Paul's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "About what?"

"Do you remember what happened ten years ago?" Dawn whispered, falling back onto the couch. She closed her eyes, remembering all the events that happened about ten weeks ago.

Not hearing a reply from Paul, Dawn reopened her eyes and glanced up. Dawn cracked a smile at Paul who was currently leaning against the wall with his hands shoved in his black jean's pockets, staring at the floor with a distant look in his dark eyes. Not even Paul could hide behind his usual cool façade as he realized what she meant.

_**Their love…**_

"_It's my child?"_

_She nodded again, her voice lost in the winter chilliness she felt._

"_Why didn't you tell me?" His fists clenched together even more tightly, and Dawn couldn't help but wince._

"_I-I tried to! But you wouldn't listen!" The girl defended, hating the way her voice shook, revealing just how scared she was at the moment._

"_When were going to tell me?" He asked, his voice now revealing just how angry he really was. His fist kept opening then clenching his fist together again, over and over and over, again and again._

…_**could never be perfect…**_

"…_Aren't you going to scream at me?" Dawn asked quietly, unable to take the silence any longer._

"_Why would I?" Dawn blinked, clearly shocked._

"_Well... I-I'm pregnant! Eight months pregnant! And with your child! I didn't even tell you I was pregnant either! Aren't you mad at me? You went eight months without knowing you were going to have another child!" The blunette frowned, her breaths coming quick as many confused questions flooded her mind._

"_And?"_

"_And... And don't you - don't - I-I can't... - Don't you **care??** I could have never told you!" She blabbered on, unable to believe that he was just standing there and doing nothing! He's angry! He's angry isn't he?_

_**They have their flaws…**_

"_What…" He started slowly, carefully. "Do I have to do…" He took a breath of air, continuing, "…to make you forgive me?"_

"_Nothing." she croaked miserably. "You can't do anything.…"_

_**They will always have their flaws…**_

"_I'm sorry Paul, but I just can't be with you anymore, even if it's just to be friends." I got ready to walk away, my eyes burning even more as I held my tears in, forbidding them to fall._

"_Yeah, sure, run away like you always do!" Paul retorted back. I felt his gaze on my back, and I could hear the rage in his voice as he continued, "You're the reason we never worked out anyways!"_

_**Is anything perfect?**_

"I still can't believe all that… _drama_ happened ten years ago. When Hiroki was barely born, before Hiroki was even born…" Dawn chuckled, gazing sadly at the ceiling.

Paul glanced at the blunette from the corner of his eyes.

"It's kind of hard to believe we're all alone again…" Dawn whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "No Carly… No Hiroki… It's just so hard to believe, that after only twelve years they've both grown up…"

Paul sighed and got up, sitting on the arm of the sofa right next to Dawn. "We're not completely alone, you know…" He murmured into her ear, running his hand through her blue locks. "Not too sound cheesy or cliché, but we still have each other."

Dawn giggled as Paul said the line. "That line sounds so strange coming from you…" She giggled again. "I probably would have laughed my ass off if I heard you say that back when I was ten."

Paul shrugged indifferently. "Mm. Yeah, you probably would have…" Paul smirked as he swiped his thumb over a drop of poffin batter that was on Dawn's cheek, just like before.

"You're a messy cook…" He mumbled, sticking the top of his thumb in his mouth to taste the poffin mix.

Dawn giggled, her cheeks flushing with color. "I know."

They won't always be happy with each other, but that's part of life…

Dawn smiled as she stared into Paul's coal black eyes, her eyelids fluttering close as she planted a gentle, loving kiss on his lips. Paul gladly returned the kiss, cupping her cheeks tenderly.

Because despite what anybody else said otherwise, Dawn and Paul both knew choosing the other wasn't a mistake…

Everybody who thought they made the mistake by remarrying each other was sadly mistaken, because…

_They_, Paul and Dawn, _weren't_ mistaken.

---

_If you love me Paul, don't let me leave…_

* * *

_I'm not sure if that second to last line made sense, but whatever. I wanted to use a cheesy line to end this fic. xD Also that last line is the answer to the secret code. Or at least, the answer I wrote down. If your answer was close to this though and possible to get from the code, I said it was right. (Because it was right :P) ^^ _

_You get the code by writing down all the capitalized letters in bold and writing them the way they are in the letter, so you should get: _**FPIOLVULAEMEUOY - EVAELEM - TELTNOD** : _Look at the last 14 letters backwards_ **EVAELEM - TELTNOD** _and you get_ **DONT LET ME LEAVE **. _Then take the rest of the letters _(**FPIOLVULAEMEUOY**), _unscramble the letters and you get _**IF YOU LOVE ME PAUL**. Put the two sentences together _(_**"Don't let me leave" **_and "_**If you love me Paul"**_) and you get _**"If you love me Paul, don't let me leave"**. _And that was the secret message Dawn gave to Paul! ;D_

_Also I apologize for the late update! This chapter was REALLY hard to write! (Luckily I overcame my writer block after listening to "Everywhere" by Avril Lavigne though xD). Haha, actually I only managed to finish this by now because I broke the chapter into six parts. Not really as ikarishippy as you may have liked, but I also wanted to expand some on Dawn and Paul's kids and the other's too some. I also wanted to add some angst (and thus, the beginning) and also wanted to show that even though they are together now, they still have their fights (and thus, Paul becoming champion!). XD _

_Also here's a play list that inspired me to write this chapter: Everywhere by Avril Lavigne, I'm With You by Avril Lavigne, Losing Grip by Avril Lavigne, Cat and Mouse by Red Suit Apparatus, Never Too Late by Three Days Grace, Pair by Three Days Grace, Sorry For Everything by Dead by April, Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse & It's Alright, It's Okay by Ashley Tisdale. _

_Hope this chapter wasn't a disappointment! Please review though! Since this is the final chapter and the Epilogue, I want to know how you thought the ending was! Also help me get to 200 reviews! XD (Please?) Also sorry if there's any mistakes! (This is a pretty long chapter, so… yeah… almost 30 pages long! :D)._


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